Chemical composition of Low Moor and Walker Company cannons in the Odisha State Maritime Museum, east coast of India

Abstract

Cannons are military or civil weapons supported on carriages or fixed mounts and used in warfare as well as against rebellions. Now, most of the cannons are exhibited in museums, forts, public and private buildings , and open places. Moreover, historical documents provide information on different types of forge-welded or cast cannons, which were manufactured both in India and abroad. Like in other museums, six iron cannons are housed at the Odisha State Maritime Museum, Cuttack, Odisha, India. Among them, two Low Moor (LM) cannons are displayed at the museum's main entrance , one LM and a Walker Company (WC) cannon are exhibited adjacent to the dockyard located in the museum, and two smaller cannons are displayed in the museum gallery. Similarly, two LM and two WC cannons are displayed at Residency, Lucknow, Uttar Pra-desh, which were deployed during the First War of India's independence in 1857. None of the LM and WC cannons has displayed a considerable degree of corrosion despite their exposure to the open environment for a long duration. Electron microscopy studies of the LM and WC cannons of the Odisha State Maritime Museum were carried out to ascertain corrosion and decay. This study deals with the results of chemical analysis of the LM and WC cannons, emphasizing the fact that the corrosion rate of these cannons is significantly less than other cannons of India.