Commercially available aliphatic polyfunctional isocyanates (such as Mobay Corporation's Desmodur N-3390®, a prepolymer of hexane-1, 6-diisocyanate) and other chemically related systems show promise in the consolidation of a wide range of cultural materials. Based upon preliminary experimental results and the chemical literature, particularly suitable materials may include adobe, stone, paint on ethnographic objects, leather, and wool. The polymer, a polyurea, may be formed in situ by reaction with atmospheric and adsorbed water. It is colorless with resistance to yellowing and degradation. There is ample opportunity for modifying the physical properties of the polymer by incorporating urethane linkages through the use of polyhydroxy compounds as coreactants. Unlike many other reactive monomers (typically volatile silanes) which are difficult to use on a large scale, the prepolymer of hexane-1, 6-diisocyanate, an isocyanurate with three pendant isocyanate groups, is not volatile and with normal care is safe to use. The low cost, and consistency of quality of the product, offer particular advantages for further developmental work in this area of conservation. The Getty Conservation Institute is actively pursuing some of these research directions.