A review on biopolymer-based treatments for consolidation and surface protection of cultural heritage materials

Nowadays, the scientific community emphasizes the use of reversible and non-toxic materials in the field of cultural heritage. Biopolymers are one of the alternative materials to synthetic polymers and solvents that are dangerous for human health and for the environment, applied in consolidation and coating treatment. Natural biopolymers may be divided into polysaccharide, protein, and polyester: All of them are low cost, eco-friendly, and biocompatible, besides many physicochemical characteristics such as being transparent, soluble in water, hydrogel, and film-forming, and can be easily functionalized. The addition of nanoclay, essential oil, and active molecules improves the physicochemical properties of biopolymers and proposes smart response abilities to the new composite material. This work is intended to provide an overview of the development of biopolymers by considering the most general aspects and scanning the diverse substrates of application for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]