Modulation of structural and stone protective properties of fluorinated methacrylate polymers

Fluorinated methacryl polymers can combine good coating properties of acrylic materials with excellent stability and water impermeability of fluoro-containing organic products. In this connection novel systems are presented as those based on homopolymers of partially fluorinated methacrylates or of methyl (Ó-trifluoromethyl)acrylate. These systems show interesting photostability and good impermeability against liquid water even with a low content of fluorinated side chains. The good protective properties and stability are probably associated to the phase segregation of different units with organization on the external surface (air interface) of fluorinated side chains in order to minimize surface energy. On the other side the possibility of varying composition to a large extent can be used to change glass transition temperature thus allowing to control the thermomechanical properties of the protective film applied to stone. (A.A.)