A key factor in modern protection of historic buildings: the assessment of penetration of water-repellent polymers into porous stone-materials.
From the 1960s on, the conservation of monuments and stone masonry has witnessed an increasing use of polymeric products during restoration interventions. Actual penetration depths reached by different polymers within the porous stone matrix are supposed to be key factors in determining the efficacy of the treatments themselves (besides, of course, the chemical-mineralogical nature of the stone and the chemical-physical characteristics of the various polymers). This work presents some preliminary results obtained on specimens of Noto calcarenite treated with various polymeric protective products. Samples were investigated with direct analytical methods (micro-ATR spectroscopy, SEM) in order to assess penetration depths reached by polymers inside the stone while reducing to a minimum the necessary manipulation of specimens. The obtained results highlighted the following trend in penetration depths for the various products tested: siloxane product > partially fluorinated acrylic resin > acrylic resin. Moreover, data obtained allowed to establish direct correlation between long term efficacy of products and relative penetration depths.
Toniolo
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Centro CNR Gino Bozza, Politecnico di Milano, P.zza L. Da Vinci 32, 20133. Lucia.Toniolo@polimi.it
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D000179:Acrylates / Q000737:chemistry; D001108:Architecture; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D003252:Construction Materials; D005465:Fluorocarbon Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D007558:Italy; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012833:Siloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013499:Surface Properties
D000179:Acrylates; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D005465:Fluorocarbon Polymers; D012833:Siloxanes