Protective coatings for ceramic artefacts exposed to UV ageing

Abstract

The commercial acrylic copolymer Paraloid B72 (PB72) and a newly synthesized nanostructured material (AMF) bearing silsesquioxane, methacrylate and fluorine units were analyzed to assess their performances as protective coatings for the conservation of Neolithic Cucuteni ceramic pottery when submitted to UV ageing. In the context of comparative evaluation of the protective efficiency, the present paper reports the first use of a functional coating that operates via specific photochemical transformations at the coating-air interface as a UV resistant protection coating for cultural heritage artefacts.