U.S.-Mexico Cooperative Research: The Development and Study of Strengthening Agents for Limestone Using Sol-Gel and Coupling Agent Technologies

这个美洲项目奖将支持博士之间的合作研究。纽约大都会艺术博物馆谢尔曼费尔柴尔德中心的乔治·塞根·惠勒和伊丽莎白·史蒂文森·戈恩斯，阿尔伯克基新墨西哥大学的j·c·布林克博士，墨西哥伊斯塔帕拉帕市大都会自治大学的胡安·门德斯·维瓦尔博士。该项目的主要科学目标是开发和研究用于强化石灰石的溶胶-凝胶材料和偶联剂。过去，溶胶-凝胶衍生的强化剂（称为固结剂）在石灰石上的性能很差，因为凝胶与构成石灰石的方解石颗粒之间缺乏附着力。本项目将考察有机烷氧基硅烷作为方解石和无机凝胶之间的粘附促进剂的能力。通过延长以石灰岩为代表的墨西哥和美国建筑和雕塑遗产的重要部分的寿命，这些巩固物的发展可以产生重要的长期效益。由于石灰石极易受到酸雨和其他劣化过程的侵蚀，这一遗产面临着严重的风险。＊＊＊

9526499 Wheeler This Americas Program award will support collaborative research between Drs. George Segan Wheeler and Elizabeth Stevenson Goins of the Sherman Fairchild Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Dr. J. C. Brinker, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and Dr. Juan Mendez Vivar, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana- Iztapalapa, Mexico. The primary scientific objective of the project is the development and study of sol-gel materials and coupling agents for strengthening limestone. The past performance of sol-gel-derived strengthening agents, (referred to as consolidants), on limestone has been poor because of the lack of adhesion between the gels and the grains of calcite comprising the limestone. This project will examine the ability of organoalkoxysilanes to serve as adhesion promoters between calcite and inorganic gels. An important, long-term benefit can accrue from the development of these consolidants by extending the life of a significant portion of Mexican and United States architectural and sculptural heritage represented in limestone. This heritage is at serious risk due to the high susceptibility of limestone to degradation by acid rain as well as other deterioration processes. ***