The Mary Rose — the favourite warship of King Henry VIII — is being slowly destroyed by tiny, acidic specks of iron and sulphur compounds which need to be removed to preserve the 510-year-old vessel, a study has found.

The four-masted, carrack-type vessel was saved in 1982 after spending four centuries on the Solent, off coast of the Isle of Wight. She had then sunk on July 19, 1545 during a battle against French fleet.

Recovery of the warship — dubbed ‘England’s Pompeii’ by historian David Starkey — has provided valuable insights into Tudor society, including such artefacts as weapons, sailing equipment and the crew’s possessions. 

However, the wreck’s removal from the water and exposure to oxygen in the atmosphere has allowed the formation of acidic, sulphur-based compounds that are breaking down the wood of the hull. 

A team of researchers from the University of Sheffield analysed wood samples taken from Mary Rose. They discovered harmful nanoparticles previously unknown.

Scans were taken at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. This particle accelerator is located in Grenoble in France. It is the world’s best X-ray source. It is basically used as a super-powered microscope.

The findings of the study will be applied to develop new techniques to remove the tiny threats from the Tudor warship’s remains, which are presently on display at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. 

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The Mary Rose — the favourite warship of King Henry VIII — is being slowly destroyed by tiny, acidic specks of iron and sulphur compounds which will need to be removed in order to preserve the 510-year-old vessel, a study has found

The Mary Rose — the favourite warship of King Henry VIII — is being slowly destroyed by tiny, acidic specks of iron and sulphur compounds which will need to be removed in order to preserve the 510-year-old vessel, a study has found

According to historians, the Mary Rose (pictured) sank in the Solent, north of the Isle of Wight, while engaging an invasion force of French galleys. The vessel — which had served for 33 years — had been extensively modified over time, and it is believe that she had gained so much additional weight in the form of cannons that the warship had become unstable

According to historians the Mary Rose (pictured) fell in the Solent, north of Isle of Wight, after engaging a French invasion force of galleys. The vessel — which had served for 33 years — had been extensively modified over time, and it is believe that she had gained so much additional weight in the form of cannons that the warship had become unstable

With their initial study complete, the researchers are now working with the Mary Rose Trust to develop a series of magnetic nanoparticle-based treatments to target and remove such harmful deposits from with the Mary Rose

After completing their initial study, the researchers now collaborate with the Mary Rose Trust to create a series of magnetic nanoparticle based treatments to target and eliminate such harmful deposits with the Mary Rose

The four-masted, carrack-type vessel was salvaged in 1982, having spent some four centuries on the seabed of the Solent, off the coast of the Isle of Wight, where she sank on July 19, 1545 in a battle against the French fleet. Pictured: a section of the Cowdray Engraving showing, centre, the sinking Mary Rose. According to historians, that the vessel — which served for 33 years — had been extensively modified over time, and it is believe that she had gained so much additional weight in the form of cannons that the warship had become unstable. Executing a turn — and reportedly caught in a gust of wind — the ship tilted such that water was able to pour into her gunports, sinking her

After four centuries of being a carrack-type vessel, the four-masted vessel was salvaged in 1982. She had been anchored off the Isle of Wight’s Solent seabed. On July 19, 1545, she lost her battle against the French fleet. Pictured: a section of the Cowdray Engraving showing, centre, the sinking Mary Rose. According to historians, that the vessel — which served for 33 years — had been extensively modified over time, and it is believe that she had gained so much additional weight in the form of cannons that the warship had become unstable. Executing a turn — and reportedly caught in a gust of wind — the ship tilted such that water was able to pour into her gunports, sinking her

Pictured: the recovery of the warship from the seabed of the Solent — dubbed 'England's Pompeii' by historian David Starkey — in 1982

Analysis of the Mary Rose has provided valuable insights into Tudor society during the time of Henry VIII (depicted right in this painting by the contemporary painted Joos van Cleve) including such artefacts as weapons, sailing equipment and the crew's possessions

Recovery of the warship (left) — dubbed ‘England’s Pompeii’ by historian David Starkey — has provided valuable insights into Tudor society during the time of Henry VIII (depicted right in this painting by the contemporary painted Joos van Cleve) including such artefacts as weapons, sailing equipment and the crew’s possessions. The wreck’s exclusion from the water and its exposure to oxygen in atmosphere has allowed for the formation of acidic, sulfur-based compounds which are destroying the wood of the vessel.

MARY ROSE: STATS 

Pictured, the Mary Rose and King Henry VIII as seen on a UK postage stamp from 1982

Pictured, the Mary Rose and King Henry VIII as seen on a UK postage stamp from 1982

Under: Tudor Navy 

Home port:Portsmouth, England 

Weight:500, refit 700 tons

Length Estimated at 148 feet (45 metres)

StyleCarrack with four masts 

Ordnance 78–91 guns

Crew complement: 400–450

Constructed 1510–1512

Many years of service: 33 

Sank: 1545, mid-battle, in the Solent

Wreck discovered: 1971

Wreck raised: 1982

‘It is remarkable that this technique at the ESRF allows us not only to image and locate these nanoparticles in Mary Rose wood, but also to evaluate their structure,’ said paper author and functional nanomaterials expert Serena Cussen of the University of Sheffield.

‘This is the first time zinc sulphide nanostructures — the bacterial by-products — have been observed in Mary Rose wood,’ she added.

‘Up to now, it has not been possible to obtain quantitative structural information about the nature of these potentially harmful species.

‘This is because it is really challenging to assess the range of materials present within archaeological samples, which can include amorphous, nanostructured, and polycrystalline materials.’

According to historians, the Mary Rose sank in the Solent, north of the Isle of Wight, while engaging an invasion force of French galleys.

The vessel — which had served for33 years — had been extensively modified over time, and it is believe that she had gained so much additional weight in the form of cannons that the warship had become unstable. 

Executing a turn — and reportedly caught in a gust of wind — the ship tilted such that water was able to pour into her gunports, sinking her, after which the warship became buried in silt on the seafloor that preserved around 40 per cent of the hull.

Having sunk and been buried, the wreck was subject to colonisation by anaerobic bacteria which release a compound called hydrogen sulphide. 

While harmless enough in the oxygen-free environment beneath the sea bed, raising the vessel has allowed this hydrogen sulphide to react with the oxygen in the atmosphere to form corrosive sulphuric acid and sulphate salts.

This issue is made worse by the fact that the Mary Rose contains a considerable amount of iron — in the form of nails, bolts, and cannons  — which catalyses the acid production.

To held compensate for the degradation of the wood, conservators impregnated the remains of the warship’s hull with a special polymer called poly-ethylene glycol, which confers both mechanical stability to the wreck while also helping to stop the wood from shrinking as it was dried out.

In their study, Professor Cussen and her colleagues were able to map out the location of potentially harmfully compounds in samples of wood from the Mary Rose by combining their X-ray computed tomography scan data with pair distribution function analysis, which provides structural information on disorder materials.

Furthermore, the team were also able to determine the distance between these harmful nanoparticles and the protective poly-ethylene glycol treatments — and in doing so reveal exactly which parts of the wood were under the greatest threat of degradation.

An advantage of the X-ray technique, the team explained, is that it can be performed on wood from the historic wreck without having to actually damage any of the irreplaceable samples in the process. 

In their study, Professor Cussen and her colleagues were able to map out the location of potentially harmfully compounds in samples of wood from the Mary Rose by combining their X-ray computed tomography scan data with pair distribution function analysis, which provides structural information on disorder materials. Pictured: the researchers' scans of samples from the Mary Rose revealed the presence of iron-sulphur compounds and sodium salts within the wood structure

In their study, Professor Cussen and her colleagues were able to map out the location of potentially harmfully compounds in samples of wood from the Mary Rose by combining their X-ray computed tomography scan data with pair distribution function analysis, which provides structural information on disorder materials. Pictured: the researchers’ scans of samples from the Mary Rose revealed the presence of iron-sulphur compounds and sodium salts within the wood structure

'It is remarkable that this technique at the ESRF allows us not only to image and locate these nanoparticles in Mary Rose wood, but also to evaluate their structure,' said paper author and functional nanomaterials expert Serena Cussen of the University of Sheffield. Pictured: the remains of the Mary Rose in its museum at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

‘It is amazing that this technique from the ESRF allows you not only image and locate these particles in Mary Rosewood, but also to determine their structure,’ said Serena Cussen, a paper author who is also a functional nanomaterials expert at the University of Sheffield. Pictured: the remains of the Mary Rose in its museum at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Having sunk and been buried, the wreck was subject to colonisation by anaerobic bacteria which release a compound called hydrogen sulphide. While harmless enough in the oxygen-free environment beneath the sea bed, raising the vessel has allowed this hydrogen sulphide to react with the atmospheric oxygen to form corrosive sulphuric acid and sulphate salts

Having sunk and been buried, the wreck was subject to colonisation by anaerobic bacteria which release a compound called hydrogen sulphide. While harmless enough in the oxygen-free environment beneath the sea bed, raising the vessel has allowed this hydrogen sulphide to react with the atmospheric oxygen to form corrosive sulphuric acid and sulphate salts

'This is the first time zinc sulphide nanostructures — the bacterial by-products — have been observed in Mary Rose wood,' Professor Cussen added. 'Up to now, it has not been possible to obtain quantitative structural information about the nature of these potentially harmful species. 'This is because it is really challenging to assess the range of materials present within archaeological samples, which can include amorphous, nanostructured, and polycrystalline materials'

‘This is the first time zinc sulphide nanostructures — the bacterial by-products — have been observed in Mary Rose wood,’ Professor Cussen added. “It has been impossible to determine the nature of these potentially dangerous species from quantitative structural information. ‘This is because it is really challenging to assess the range of materials present within archaeological samples, which can include amorphous, nanostructured, and polycrystalline materials’

Executing a turn — and reportedly caught in a gust of wind — the ship (pictured) tilted such that water was able to pour into her gunports, sinking her, after which she became buried in silt on the seafloor that preserved around 40 per cent of the hull

Executing a turn — and reportedly caught in a gust of wind — the ship (pictured) tilted such that water was able to pour into her gunports, sinking her, after which she became buried in silt on the seafloor that preserved around 40 per cent of the hull

‘What our results have done is alert conservators to these previously unknown deposits and expand the study of degradation-inducing materials,’ Professor Cussen said.

‘Knowing the structure of these potentially harmful species also allows us to design targeted treatments for their future removal.’

With their initial study complete, the researchers are now working with the Mary Rose Trust to develop a series of magnetic nanoparticle-based treatments to target and remove such harmful deposits from with the Mary Rose and similarly-afflicted historic artefacts.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Matter.

'What our results have done is alert conservators to these previously unknown deposits and expand the study of degradation-inducing materials,' Professor Cussen said. 'Knowing the structure of these potentially harmful species also allows us to design targeted treatments for their future removal'

‘What our results have done is alert conservators to these previously unknown deposits and expand the study of degradation-inducing materials,’ Professor Cussen said. ‘Knowing the structure of these potentially harmful species also allows us to design targeted treatments for their future removal’

In a new study, a team of researchers led by the University of Sheffield analysed samples from the Mary Rose using so-called X-ray computed tomography, revealing previously undetected harmful nanoparticles in the wood. Scans were undertaken at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (pictured), a particle accelerator in Grenoble, France which is the world's brightest X-ray source and is used, in essence, like a super-powered microscope

In a new study, a team of researchers led by the University of Sheffield analysed samples from the Mary Rose using so-called X-ray computed tomography, revealing previously undetected harmful nanoparticles in the wood. Scans were undertaken at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (pictured), a particle accelerator in Grenoble, France which is the world’s brightest X-ray source and is used, in essence, like a super-powered microscope

According to historians, the Mary Rose sank in the Solent, north of the Isle of Wight, while engaging an invasion force of French galleys. Recovery of the warship — dubbed 'England's Pompeii' by historian David Starkey — has provided valuable insights into Tudor society, including such artefacts as weapons, sailing equipment and the crew's possessions

According to historians the Mary Rose was attacked by a force of French galleys while it was anchored in the Solent, north of Isle of Wight. Recovery of the warship — dubbed ‘England’s Pompeii’ by historian David Starkey — has provided valuable insights into Tudor society, including such artefacts as weapons, sailing equipment and the crew’s possessions

HOW THE MARY ROSE WAS SALVAGED RIGHT FROM THE BOTTOM of THE SOLENT

The Henry VIII flagship vessel, the Mary Rose museum displayed the vessel exactly 471 year after it was lost in the Solent, just outside Portsmouth Harbour. 

The Mary Rose, which was a French-French battleship, was destroyed in battle and killed more than 500 men. 

Amazingly, the starboard side hull was not damaged by the tides or bacteria. 

For decades, it was constantly coated with millions of litres of finely-sprayed, fresh water at a temperature of less than 5°C (41°F). This process was combined with a variety of wax chemicals were used to stop wood drying out and inhibit bacterial activity.

In 1985, the ship was repositioned and titanium props were placed to support its internal structure. Work was also undertaken to remove as much sediment as possible.

Active conservation began in 1994 with the spraying Polyethylene Glycol (Peg) a water-soluble, non-toxic polymer that can penetrate deep into wood and support cell walls. 

Then, in April 2013, the Peg sprays were turned off and the hull was kept in a state of controlled air-drying phase 100 tonnes of water during the next four to five years.

After drying, the walls around the hull were removed to allow visitors to have a clear view of the hull.

The ship is now being supported using scaffolding, but the drying process has created unwanted movement. They are now monitoring the situation with special cameras.