The positive impact of using water‐soluble synthetic polymers for the consolidation of archaeological stones

Abstract It is widely accepted to utilize polymeric substances to enhance and consolidate artifacts of artistic and historical value for the protection of cultural heritage objects. This article aims to prepare and evaluate some water‐soluble polymers (melamine formaldehyde sulfonate (MFS), urea formaldehyde sulfonate (UFS), melamine urea formaldehyde sulfonate (MUFS) due to their chemical flexibility and inexpensive manufacturing process (economic aspect), according to their properties in strengthening archaeological stones such as sandstone and limestone. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and elemental analysis techniques are used to elucidate the structure of the fabricated polymers. The performance characteristics of the treated samples were evaluated using different techniques namely; scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results reported that sandstone gives more satisfactory results than the limestone specimens because resins penetrate the stone particles well, which is a prerequisite for an effective treatment that produces dimensional stability, and weather resistance. Overall, the synthetic polymers used demonstrated similar film‐forming and pore‐filling capabilities in stones, highlighting their potential to improve heritage stones’ endurance and aesthetic integrity. In particular, samples containing MFS exhibited the best characteristics as the lowest moisture adsorption, highest compressive strength, and are therefore considered the ideal choice for consolidation of archaeological stones.