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Conservation of Historic Stone Buildings and Monuments (1982) / Chapter Skim
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Exposure Site and Weatherometer Evaluations of Synthetic Polymers
Pages 322-328

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From page 322...
... Weatherometer Evaluations of Synthetic Polymers W LINCOLN HAWKINS The environmental stability of synthetic polymers is important in applying them as protective coatings or sealants for historic stone buildings and monuments.
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From page 323...
... However, this polymer has poor stability against weathering, apparently the result of oxygen-containing groups present as imperfections in the polymer molecules. Polymers with ring structures—polystyrene is an important example absorb strongly in the ultraviolet range and yellow rapidly dunng outdoor exposure.
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From page 324...
... ANTIWEATHERING STABILIZERS Considerable research has been directed toward developing stabilizers to offset adverse weathering effects. The chemical reactions responsible for photodegradation have been studied extensively, and as a result very effective stabilizers are now available.
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From page 325...
... Protection against ultraviolet radiation is provided by pigments, which screen out the radiation, or by ultraviolet absorbers, which absorb the damaging radiation and then dissipate the absorbed energy in a manner not hallnful to the polymer. Absorbed energy may dissipate through fluorescence, emission of visible light, or by chemical reactions of the stabilizer.
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From page 326...
... Conventional exposure sites employ an angle of 45° facing south for test samples. This fixed angle does not give the maximum exposure but has been adopted as a standard in order to make possible a reasonable level of cross-checking between different locations.
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From page 327...
... It is difficult to maintain the temperature of test samples near what it would be under normal exposure conditions. And despite all the advances made in outdoor test procedures, exposure time is lost at night.
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From page 328...
... CONCLUSION This paper is intended to alert potential users of synthetic polymers of the vulnerability of these potentially useful materials to degradation under ordinary outdoor exposure. Careful choice of polymers to be used is most important.
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Key Terms

  • ultraviolet radiation
  • outdoor exposure
  • weatherometer evaluations
  • solar radiation
  • stone buildings

  • test samples
  • historic stone
  • chain reaction
  • accelerated tests
  • exposure site

  • exposure sites
  • solar spectrum
  • ultraviolet absorbers
  • absorbed energy
  • light source

  • similar polymers
  • outdoor weathering
  • protective coatings
  • test procedures
  • frequency range

  • ultraviolet light
  • chemical reactions
  • indoor tests
  • adverse weathering
  • relative stabilities

  • comparative spectra
  • light sources
  • polymer compositions
  • tests accelerated
  • final caution


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