Getty Conservation Institute

About: Getty Conservation Institute is a facility organization based out in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Cultural heritage & Relative humidity. The organization has 185 authors who have published 328 publications receiving 6339 citations. The organization is also known as: GCI.

Salt weathering: influence of evaporation rate, supersaturation and crystallization pattern

Abstract: Micro- and macroscale experiments which document the dynamics of salt damage to porous stone have yielded data which expose weaknesses in earlier interpretations. Previously unexplained differences are found in crystal morphology, crystallization patterns, kinetics and substrate damage when comparing the growth of mirabilite (Na2SO4. 10H2O) and thenardite (Na2SO4) versus halite (NaCl). The crystallization pattern of sodium sulphate was strongly affected by relative humidity (RH), while a lesser RH effect was observed for sodium chloride. Macroscale experiments confirmed that mirabilite (crystallizing at RH > 50 per cent) and thenardite (crystallizing at RH < 50 per cent) tend to form subflorescence in highly localized areas under conditions of constant RH and temperature. This crystallization pattern was more damaging than that of halite, since halite tended to grow as efflorescence or by filling the smallest pores of the stone in a homogeneous fashion, a result which contradicts Wellman and Wilson's theoretical model of salt damage. Low RH promoted rapid evaporation of saline solutions and higher supersaturation levels, resulting in the greatest damage to the stone in the case of both sodium sulphate and sodium chloride crystallization. At any particular crystallization condition, sodium chloride tended to reach lower supersaturation levels (resulting in the crystallization of isometric crystals) and created negligible damage, while sodium sulphate reached higher supersaturation ratios (resulting in non-equilibrium crystal shapes), resulting in significant damage. ESEM showed no damage from sodium sulphate due to hydration. Instead, after water condensation on thenardite crystals, rapid dissolution followed by precipitation of mirabilite took place, resulting in stone damage by means of crystallization pressure generation. It is concluded that salt damage due to crystallization pressure appears to be largely a function of solution supersaturation ratio and location of crystallization. These key factors are related to solution properties and evaporation rates, which are constrained by solution composition, environmental conditions, substrate properties, and salt crystallization growth patterns. When combined with a critical review of salt damage literature, these experiments allow the development of a model which explains variations in damage related to combinations of different salts, substrates and environmental conditions.

Salt weathering: a selective review

Abstract: Abstract The past decade has seen a growing scientific interest in the still poorly understood subject of salt weathering, a phenomenon with significant cultural and economic consequences. This interest has led to an increase in research results and growing clarification of the roles salts play in weathering and decay. The development of improved mitigation methods to reduce the decay of building materials by salts has been a slow process, often arising from the analysis of unique field situations and otherwise dependent on simplified laboratory experiments and computer modelling. Collecting, reviewing, synthesizing and disseminating the existing data on salt weathering is a difficult task. The size and scope of the topic are mirrored in the diverse disciplines that have historically contributed to understanding the action of salts in porous materials and mitigation methods. Nevertheless, an appreciation of existing, even contradictory, data is an important tool for increasing understanding. There are now over 1800 research articles on the topic of salt weathering originating from several disciplines, as well as over 6000 references on the general problems of building material decay. In order to navigate such a vast collection of data and knowledge, this article describes the multidisciplinary nature of the study of salt damage to porous building materials, provides a framework for considering the complexity of salt damage, and serves as a selective literature survey largely focused on recent work and those articles with relevance for conservation.

Nanostructure and irreversible colloidal behavior of Ca(OH)2: implications in cultural heritage conservation.

Abstract: Although Ca(OH)2 is one of the oldest art and building material used by mankind, little is known about its nanostructural and colloidal characteristics that play a crucial role in its ultimate performance as a binder in lime mortars and plasters. In particular, it is unknown why hydrated lime putty behaves as an irreversible colloid once dried. Such effect dramatically affects the reactivity and rheology of hydrated lime dispersions. Here we show that the irreversible colloidal behavior of Ca(OH)2 dispersions is the result of an oriented aggregation mechanism triggered by drying. Kinetic stability and particle size distribution analysis of oven-dried slaked lime or commercial dry hydrate dispersions exhibit a significant increase in settling speed and particle (cluster) size in comparison to slaked lime putty that has never been dried. Drying-related particle aggregation also leads to a significant reduction in surface area. Electron microscopy analyses show porous, randomly oriented, micron-sized clusters that are dominant in the dispersions both before and after drying. However, oriented aggregation of the primary Ca(OH)2 nanocrystals (approximately 60 nm in size) is also observed. Oriented aggregation occurs both before and during drying, and although limited before drying, it is extensive during drying. Nanocrystals self-assemble in a crystallographically oriented manner either along the 100 or equivalent 110 directions, or along the Ca(OH)2 basal planes, i.e., along [001]. While random aggregation appears to be reversible, oriented aggregation is not. The strong coherent bonding among oriented nanoparticles prevents disaggregation upon redispersion in water. The observed irreversible colloidal behavior associated with drying of Ca(OH)2 dispersions has important implications in heritage conservation, particularly considering that nowadays hydrated lime is often the preferred alternative to portland cement in architectural heritage conservation. Finally, our study demonstrates that, fortuitously, hydrated lime could be one of the first nanomaterials used by mankind.