Investigation of a biomimetic route to the conservation of calcareous stone

Stone monuments and works of art suffer from stone decay caused by environmental factors. This can result in a decrease in the mineral cohesion and increase in the porosity of the stone. A variety of organic and inorganic products have been used to strengthen and/or protect weathered stone, however many of these treatments have shown negative effects on the monument and the environment. The purpose of this work is to produce a technique to consolidate weathered calcareous stone by taking a biomimetic approach to reintroducing calcium carbonate into the stone to produce a reinforcing effect. In nature, organisms may produce biominerals to serve various functions, with extraordinary control over the shape and polymorph of the mineral. There are many examples where the materials formed have superior mechanical properties when compared to their inorganic counterparts. It is for these reasons that taking a biomediated approach to introducing calcium carbonate back into weathered stone could be advantageous.