What does salad dressing have in common with building conservation? Olive oil. Researchers led by Karen Wilson in Cardiff, Wales, discovered that oleic acid, a component of the food staple, has just the right properties to make an excellent coating to help preserve historic structures. Some great historic buildings, such as the York Minster cathedral in England (pictured), are made from limestone, a popular material because it was cheap, plentiful and easy to build with. Unfortunately, limestone is also extremely vulnerable to pollution, especially acid rain. Previous attempts at creating protective coatings failed because they were too thick: They blocked pollutants, but also prevented limestone from expanding and contracting with changes in temperature, leading to structural damage. The new oleic acid coating is inherently hydrophobic, repelling water and any pollutants, and it allows the material to react to temperature fluctuations naturally. In the words of the researchers, it allows the stone to "breathe." The oleic coating is also remarkably thin, just about a nanometer thick, allowing it to conform to even the smallest cracks and imperfections in the structure. Many conservation groups are now interested in putting this historic food supply to use protecting historic buildings. 译文 建筑保护中通常用到的色拉酱调料包含什么呢？橄榄油。 Cardiff，Wales由Karen Wilson领导的研究者们发现人们主食的油酸成分正好具有一种形成优良涂层的性质，这能帮助保护历史建筑。 有些著名古建筑如英格兰的约克大教堂（英国最大的哥特式教堂，如图）就是由石灰岩构成，因为这一流行材料便宜、丰富，而且很容易搭建。不幸的是，石灰岩也极容易被污染物破坏，尤其是酸雨。 前面尝试过创造的防护材料涂层都失败了，因为它们都太厚重： 这虽然阻挡了酸雨，但同时也阻止了石灰岩在温度变化时的热胀冷缩，进而导致建筑本身受损。 新的油酸涂层具有天然的疏水和排水及其他杂物的特性，也不会阻止材料本身在温度自然变化时的正常张缩反应。用研究者们的话说，让石头“呼吸”。 这种油性涂层十分薄，只有大约一毫微米的厚度，能够深入覆盖建筑中哪怕极小的一些裂缝和瑕疵。现在许多保护团体开始将这种历史悠久的食物的成分用于保护同样历史悠久的古建筑中。
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