New Materials for Conservation of Cultural Heritage: The Tecon@BC project

The TeCon@BC is a project supported by Regione Toscana and European Community to study materials for conservation of Cultural Heritage. Inside this project new polymeric materials derived from natural sources has been prepared and tested as protective for stone surfaces exposed to an open air. Polymers were prepared from lactic acid, a renewable source formed by fermentation of sugar materials. Several polymerization processes were available and products with different properties has been achieved. Polymers having better properties, expecially hydrorepellence, were synthesized by insertion of a perfluoropolyethers moiety or a perfluorogroup in the PLA chain. The products obtained showed very interesting properties among which a high stability to UV ageing and a protective efficiency very close to that of commercial products obtained from fossil fuels so this polymers may be considered as a very interesting alternative to commercial products, presently available.