Un esempio di progettazione molecolare per protettivi polimerici ad alta efficacia per materiali lapidei

The many requirements for a material to perform effectively as a protective coating for stone can only be met by polymers consisting of properly designed multifunctional macromolecules. Multicomponent fluorinated acrylic-based copolymers were produced by free radical polymerization of monomers bearing different functionality in their side chain. By this way both surface and bulk properties (water repellency, capillary water absorption) of two carbonatic stones, Carrara Marble and the porous Vicenza Stone, were greatly improved. In particular, a semifluorinated terpolymer bearing a reactive group in the side chain showed exceptionally good performance when compared with the commercial acrylic Paraloid B72 and the silicone Rhodorsil H224. Future development of these coating materials may allow their application as health- and environmentally friendly water borne formulations.