The conservation and protection of buildings that constitute our cultural heritage are complex tasks calling for a comprehensive knowledge of the historical background of the buildings, as well as the construction technologies and materials used. Nanomaterials in Architecture and Art Conservation gives a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of using nanomaterials in conservation sciences, mainly for stone, mortar and plaster strengthening, but also for the consolidation of wall paintings. The book compiles and details deterioration mechanisms of stone and historical mortars, as well as methods of characterising and testing consolidation effects. The non- or semi-destructive characterisation methods that will be presented allow additional measurements to characterise objects before and after any interventions. Besides, general aspects of inorganic consolidants are targeted. The focus, in particular, is the application of nanolime as a new consolidation agent. Basic characteristics and application advices as well as beneficial combinations with other consolidation agents, such as silicic acid esters, are emphasised. What makes this book so special is the large number of practical applications described from the viewpoint of different restorers, offering a direct inside view of the procedure for the conservation of historical monuments. Restorers dealing with stone, mortar and plaster conservation; artists; advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level students of conservation science, art and nanotechnology; offices for the protection of monuments and heritage agencies; and researchers in materials science, conservation, nanotechnology and chemistry, especially those with an interest in applied sciences, will find this book a great reference.

Gerald Ziegenbalg received his PhD in inorganic chemistry from TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany, in 1990 and his habilitation in chemical engineering in 1998. He is the CEO of IBZ-Salzchemie GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, and honorary professor at the University of Applied Sciences Dresden, Germany. Prof. Ziegenbalg’s areas of interest are nanomaterials for stone and mortar conservation, as well as chemical engineering.

Miloš Drdácký, former director of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Staré Město, Czech Republic, and an elected fellow of the Engineering Academy of the Czech Republic, is experienced in research on material, structural, and urban issues of architectural heritage and historical settlements.

Claudia Dietze studied chemistry at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and obtained her PhD in analytical chemistry in 2016. Since 2017, she has been working at IBZ-Salzchemie GmbH & Co. KG in the field of stone conservation and development of consolidation agents.

Dirk Schuch studied chemistry at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany. He received his PhD in inorganic chemistry and Master’s in business administration in 2014. Since 2015, he has been working as R&D project manager at IBZ-Salzchemie GmbH & Co. KG.