Decay is usually quickest with paper artifacts (the paper can easily become desiccated and brittle, or suffer insect damage), bronzes (easily corroded), cloisonne (contains thin bronze bands), and objects made of bamboo, wood, ivory, bone, fabric, or other organic materials.
通常較易劣化的文物是書畫（紙質易脫水脆裂、蟲蛀）、銅器（易生鏽蝕）、琺瑯（含銅胎、銅絲金屬鑲嵌，會受金屬劣化影響），以及竹、木、牙、骨、織品等含有機材質易朽爛的文物。