Calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, silicon dioxide nanoparticles and their combinations as consolidants for lime mortars and gypsum plasters

This paper studies the effectiveness of four consolidation treatments based on nanoparticles suspensions: calcium hydroxide (Ca-NP), magnesium hydroxide (Mg-NP), a treatment combining calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide (Ca/Mg-NP), and a treatment consisting of calcium hydroxide and silicon dioxide (Ca/Si-NP) that were both applied separately. The suspensions were sprayed on gypsum plasters and lime renders which are common substrates in historical constructions and show a high degree of similarity with the treatments. The consolidation efficiency was evaluated using non-destructive techniques, such as peeling test, Shore-D hardness, water flow using Karsten tube and water vapour permeability tests. In addition, TEM images and XRD tests demonstrated the formation of a new C-S-H cementing phase when Ca/Si-NPs were combined due to a reaction between Ca(OH)2 with SiO2. Colour tests (CIE-L*a*b*) showed the consolidants did not produce major colour alterations, although the Ca-NP treatment caused a slight lightness increase. The strengthening effect was greater in lime mortars and water flow was moderately reduced in all treatments, except in mortars coated with Ca/Mg-NP. Finally, the chemical nature of the treatments is similar to the substrates, and they did not significantly alter the water vapour permeability of the studied materials.