1989, Start of Protectosil® production
1989, Start of Protectosil® production
Group

30 YEARS AGO - 1989

From Anti-Water to Anti-Graffiti

In 1989, Degussa AG launched a new building protection agent under the name of Protectosil® that is able to make the surface of mineral building materials water-repellent without significantly impairing their water vapor permeability.

This closes the route that pollutants take when penetrating concrete, bricks, masonry or natural stone. The different Protectosil® grades are a group of organic silicon compounds that vary according to specific requirements. As a pilot project, parts of the façade of Thann Cathedral, a 600-year-old church near Colmar, Alsace, were treated with Protectosil®.

In 2003, a refinement under the name Protectosil® Antigraffiti triggered a brief public debate because, in addition to a concrete admixture also used and manufactured by Degussa, it was used in the construction of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin in order to protect the stelae from graffiti. The background to the controversial debate was the role Degussa’s predecessor companies had played during National Socialism. After construction was halted for a short time, the responsible trustees of the foundation nevertheless decided to continue the work with further use of Degussa products.

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