Innovative consolidating products for stone materials: field exposure tests as a valid approach for assessing durability

The impact of climate on cultural heritage surfaces leads to several damage processes and the protection and the preservation of works of art is a challenge for conservation scientists and restorers. Traditional and innovative products are used in consolidating treatments in order to reduce the effects of the interaction environment-materials. The EC NANOMATCH Project aims at the development of innovative consolidating agents for carbonate matrices, wood and glass whose features should result in high compatibility, efficiency and long-lasting effect. In this project, metal alkoxides, molecular precursors for the deposition of metal carbonate are synthesized, characterized, tested and proposed as an alternative to traditional consolidating agents as well as to calcium hydroxide nanoparticles. This paper gives an overall description of the methodological approach adopted for the in field evaluation of durability taking into account the environmental impact. Preliminary results of the analyses carried out on carbonate stones aimed at investigating the features of the consolidating treatment are here presented and discussed.