Characterization of acrylic resins and fluoroelastomer blends as potential materials in stone protection

Films of blends of Paraloid(R) B72 (copolymer of ethyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate) and Tecnoflon NM(R) (copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropene) with different compositions were investigated by means of FT-IR spectroscopy and FT-IR microspectroscopy before and after UV and thermal treatments. Preliminary results of DSC measurements are also reported. Paraloid B72 has been extensively applied as a protective agent for stone since the 1950s. More recently considerable research has also been carried out on the application of fluorinated polymers in the field of stone conservation, eg, the fluoroelastomer Tecnoflon(R). A high content of Tecnoflon with respect to Paraloid increases the stability of the blends when they are submitted to UV radiation and thermal treatments. A THF solution of a blend of this kind was successfully applied to a marble surface of the Saint Maria Cathedral in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. The changes in the properties of such mixtures with different compositions can offer new possibilities in developing suitable protective materials. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.