Conservation science is an interdisciplinary field that largely owes its foundation to other sciences. Among these sciences, electrochemical methods can be mentioned. Electrochemical methods play an important role in various aspects of the conservation and restoration of historical objects. Briefly, the application scope of electrochemical methods in conservation and restoration can be divided into: identification and investigation of constituent materials in historical artifacts, restoration and cleaning methods, and environmental condition assessments in museum display areas and storage facilities of historical objects. Identification and Investigation of Constituent Materials: Identifying the components of artistic and archaeological artifacts is an important matter in scientific investigations. Some of these objects are composite. Additionally, some objects are heterogeneous while others are homogeneous, and some are accompanied by considerable amounts of other materials, such as binding media, paints, pigments, etc. At first glance, it may seem that electrochemical methods could perform this task without causing damage to the artifact. However, further investigations in this area are required. Restoration and Cleaning Methods: Electrochemistry has been used for over a century in the treatment of historical metal objects. These methods can be employed in artifact treatment; perhaps their ideal capability would be reversing the corrosion process in ionic compounds. However, in applying these methods, depending on the condition of the artifact, treatment priorities may lean toward strengthening, stabilization, or cleaning of the historical artifact. Environmental Condition Assessments: Scientists and researchers are continuously investigating and evaluating harmful conditions in museum environments. This is because pollutants, even in very small quantities, can be one of the most important factors in the deterioration of historical artifacts, and their detection and identification are often inaccessible due to high sensitivity and cost. Moreover, conventional methods lead to the identification of pollutants at low concentrations (one part per billion), but it is difficult to determine their damage potential. This is because the synergistic effects (Synergy) and additive effects of these compounds when mixed together, as well as their surface effects on historical objects, cannot be accurately calculated. Can electrochemical methods be used as a measurement tool for investigating museum conditions? This paper generally addresses the role, importance, strengths, and weaknesses of electrochemical methods in the aforementioned areas within the field of conservation and restoration of historical objects. The aim of this paper is to present a new approach to the application of electrochemical methods and their advantages and disadvantages in the restoration and conservation of historical artifacts.
