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Prevention of Salt Damage to Monuments: Esem and Time-Lapse Studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

E. Doehne ,
C. Selwitz ,
D. Carson  and
A. de Tagle
E. Doehne
Affiliation:
The Getty Conservation Institute, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA90049, USA TEL: (310) 440 6237, FAX: 310 440 7711, Email: edoehne@getty.edu.
C. Selwitz
Affiliation:
3631 Surfwood road, Malibu, CA, 90265, USA.
D. Carson
Affiliation:
The Getty Conservation Institute, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA90049, USA TEL: (310) 440 6237, FAX: 310 440 7711, Email: edoehne@getty.edu.
A. de Tagle
Affiliation:
The Getty Conservation Institute, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA90049, USA TEL: (310) 440 6237, FAX: 310 440 7711, Email: edoehne@getty.edu.
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Abstract

Introduction: “In time, and with water, everything changes.” —Leonardo da Vinci The crystallization of soluble salts in porous building materials is a widespread weathering process that results in damage to important monuments and archaeological sites. Salt weathering by thenardite (sodium sulfate) and mirabilite (sodium sulfate decahydrate) is especially destructive, yet is still not fully understood. Halite (sodium chloride) in contrast, is one of the least damaging salts. Previous work has also demonstrated the importance of airflow in salt weathering. Here we present new data that help explain why sodium sulfate is so damaging and also show how crystallization modifiers and changes in airflow can reduce salt damage in laboratory experiments.

Damage Mechanism: The behavior of sodium sulfate was documented using saturated solutions and oolites from Monks Park limestone (a stone well known to be vulnerable to salt damage) as test samples. Damage was evaluated based on the degree of cracking of the oolite.

Type
Forensics and Environmental Issues (Organized by J. Woodward and P. Crozier)
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 7 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis 2001, Microscopy Society of America 59th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 35th Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California August 5-9, 2001 , August 2001 , pp. 466 - 467
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2001

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References

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