Project description
The use of natural products in marble protection
From the creation of outdoor sculptures to kitchen and bathroom fixtures, marble is widely used in many industries. However, this raw material is vulnerable to atmospheric conditions and human pollution. Methods of protection are costly, inefficient and often toxic. The EU-funded BioProMarL project aims to find new ways to protect marble surfaces. It will use biomimetic laser structuring strategies to transfer the protective properties of specific plants that offer high resistance to human pollution. The project will develop innovative concepts that not only protect and extend the life of natural stone products, but also contribute to environmental sustainability.
Objective
Marble is a widely used raw material in the kitchen/bathroom market, as well as in the construction sector. Yet, its durability is harmed by atmospheric and local acidic conditions and its aesthetic appearance endangered by human pollution and contamination. Although surface sealing is frequently used for protection, sealers are often toxic and not sufficiently effective. Long-term conservation or replacement of marble generates enormous costs.
BioProMarLL aims at transferring the surface protective properties of certain plants to the marble surface, employing biomimetic laser structuring strategies that have been developed during the recently finished FET-Open project LiNaBioFluid. The overall objective of BioProMarL is the development of breakthrough concepts inspired by nature to provide enhanced protection of the marble surface in indoor and outdoor applications in terms of resistance to human pollution (e.g. stains by oil, lemon, vinegar, …). Additional functionalities that will be intended to transfer to marble include liquid-repellence, anti-adhesion and anti-abrasion, further strengthening the complementarity with LiNaBioFluid.
The project consortium already includes a marble product company as end user and aims at identifying other end users for the different functionalities to be achieved in biomimetically structured marble. The new biomimetic protection and functionalization concept of BioProMarL has a high innovation potential and holds great promise for technological impact, while the success of LiNaBioFluid strongly supports its viability. In particular, it is foreseen that the useful life of natural stone products can be increased and chemically aggressive sealants can be replaced through smart functional surface morphologies, strongly contributing to environmental sustainability. In addition, biomimetic marble with added functionalities might lead to an increase in market share of natural stone products and impulse the European market leadership.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
28006 Madrid
Spain