Epoxy monomers consolidant for lime plaster cured via a redox activated cationic polymerization

Epoxy resins, widely used in conservation, still remain controversial materials. Considering some of the drawbacks that currently limit the application of epoxy consolidants, we present the application of the cationic ring opening polymerization as a novel method to cure the epoxy monomer in the restoration field. The cationic polymerization was carried out through a redox system based on the reduction of the iodonium salt in the presence of ascorbic acid catalyzed by a copper salt. The use of this initiator system for carrying out a suitable consolidant for lime plaster is considered. First, the film properties of the cured films were investigated. Then, the formulation was applied on a sample of plaster and its compatibility was verified. Its effectiveness as a consolidant product is explored through the evaluation of chromatic changes, mechanical strength, morphology of the re-aggregated material, and changes of the surface properties.