ABSTRACT
Fig. 7 clearly shows that the polymer is able to form a nearly continuous film covering also the crystals of clay minerals. The thickness of the polymer films mainly ranges below 1 micron. The polymer microfilms not show fracturing or blistering. Thus, the micro-mechanical stresses due to short term periods of alternating moistening and drying of swellable clay minerals, attributing substantially to the physical decay of the stones, are reduced to a great extend.
