A natural, long-lasting solution to preserving Europe's cultural treasures
EU-funded scientists behind project HEROMAT have developed new natural building materials to preserve Europe's historic monuments and other cultural assets. The materials can be applied to a variety of building surfaces and offer protective, self-cleaning and anti-microbial functionalities, which could help ensure that cleaning and protection become less frequent and less costly.
The project's three products cover consolidative materials for carbonate substrates and silicate substrates and a photocatalytic suspension (which absorbs light) for application on cultural heritage objects such as brick, render, mortar and stone. These products have already been used on restoration projects in Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia. Recent tests on concrete also suggest that the materials could have applications in modern construction.
