RT Journal Article
T1 Role of pore structure in salt crystallisation in unsaturated porous stone
A1 Benavente, David
A1 García del Cura, M. Ángeles
A1 García Guinea, Javier
A1 Sánchez Moral, Sergio
A1 Ordóñez Delgado, Salvador
AB Laboratory driven crystallisation of sodium sulphate and sodium chloride from concentrated solution in unsaturated porous stones has been performed. This contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which salts crystallise and as a consequence limit the durability of porous materials which has an impact on buildings, civil constructions, and historical monuments. The identification of minerals in porous materials has been performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) and sequential profiles of X-ray diffraction (XRD) under temperature control of sample. The study of porous stones has been combined with experiments in capillary tubes. Data from SEM show that halite tends to precipitate on the surface of the stone with a similar distribution in all samples. However, the mirabilite–thenardite precipitation takes place preferably inside the stone and its depth from the surface and its relative concentration depends on the pore size distribution. In addition, mirabilite (Na2SO4·10H2O) crystallises homogeneously, whereas thenardite (Na2SO4) and halite (NaCl) tend to nucleate heterogeneously. To explain the precipitation sequence from concentrated solutions in unsaturated porous materials, a detailed analysis of the thermodynamic equations has been carried out by establishing a simple model. The proposed model shows the influence of the pore structure both on the water activity and saturation degree of involved salts.
PB Elsevier
SN 0022-0248
YR 2004
FD 2004
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/126296
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/126296
LA eng
NO Benavente, D. «Role of Pore Structure in Salt Crystallisation in Unsaturated Porous Stone». Journal of Crystal Growth, vol. 260, n.º 3-4, enero de 2004, pp. 532-44. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2003.09.004.
NO Beca predoctoral
NO Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (España)
NO Generalitat Valenciana
DS Docta Complutense
RD 21 mar 2026