PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE
It is well understood that rising levels of CO₂ and sulfur dioxide pose a serious threat to historic monuments, gradually leading to their deterioration and destruction.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO ACT NOW?
Until the early 19th century, the carbon cycle was in balance—natural processes like photosynthesis and ocean absorption kept atmospheric CO₂ levels stable.
However, widespread deforestation, the expansion of coal mining, and the rise of industrial oil and gas production have disrupted this balance. As a result, CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere have increased by 41%, with half of that rise occurring in just the last 50 years.
The burning of fossil fuels—for electricity, transportation, and industry—releases large amounts of greenhouse gases. This is the primary driver of global warming and the elevated levels of carbon and sulfur dioxide, both of which accelerate the decay of valuable cultural heritage.
The rise in carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide concentrations has turned rainwater acidic, lowering its pH to 5.
Converted into carbonic acid, this acidic rainwater attacks and gradually dissolves natural materials.
It is astonishing that the very substances responsible for the problem—petroleum-based products such as resins, acrylates, and silicones—are still widely used for impregnating historic monuments.
These products are often applied in excessive concentrations, causing irreversible damage to the stone they are meant to protect by obstructing its natural ability to breathe.
How can we guarantee long-lasting protection in a completely ecological way?
Since antiquity, there has been a natural way to preserve the beauty of historical buildings for centuries and millennia… namely with a natural impregnation using silica.
Jean Pierre Allègre, the Technical Director of ProtecD®, has developed a mineralizing agent in the research lab that restores the original strength and beauty of stone, including historic buildings and sculptures, while also preventing the aging process.
In addition, he has created the product as a ready-to-use solution, for quick and easy application.
Petroleum-based products are as short-lived as a layer of paint and deteriorate quickly.
As they degrade, they are released into the atmosphere, washed into rivers and oceans by rain, and consequently re-enter the harmful cycle that threatens both the environment and human health.
This is neither a feasible long-term nor an environmentally sustainable solution!
Preserving Cultural Heritage
- Mineralization reinforces both the stone and its connecting seams – Mohs Hardness Scale
- It prevents the penetration of moisture and frost
- It provides protection against the growth of moss and algae
- It provides protection against sulfides.
- It allows the mineral substrate to breathe without altering its color or texture.
- It preserves the natural beauty of cultural heritage and prevents aging.
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ARE AT THE HEART OF OUR MISSION.
We subjected our ProtecD® mineralizer to a comprehensive laboratory test conducted by KURAM, the laboratory of the Turkish Ministry of Culture (Report No. 2023-627).
All tests comply with EU Regulation No. 305/2011.
Water-repellent properties after 100 years of UV exposure – Porosity and rate of water absorption through capillary action – Hardness analysis (Mohs scale) – Long-term corrosion resistance testing in a humid SO2 environment – Petrographic analysis and resistance to salt crystallization – Abrasion resistance (Böhme test) – Long-term testing (60 cycles) for freeze-thaw resistance – SEM-EDS, XRD, and RAMAN analysis
The 100% ecological ProtecD®Mineralizer contains no hazardous components.
No harmful components were found that would prevent its use on historic monuments.
