TEOS AND TIME: THE INLFUENCE OF APPLICATION SCHEDULES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ETHYL SILICATE BASED CONSOLIDANTS

An investigation was carried out at KIK-IRPA on the application modalities of ethyl silicate based products aiming at understanding the influence of time between successive applications on the pore structure and on the final strengthening effect of stones. Samples of Maastrichter lime stone were treated with different formulations and dilutions. The number of treatments varied from one to three with an interval between successive treatments ranging from one day to three weeks. Mercury porosity measurements, polymerized product content and hardness profiles obtained by a drilling resistance measurement system (DRMS) were used to evaluate the consolidating properties. Noticeable differences in pore blocking and in overall hardness were observed in samples that were treated at one day intervals and those treated at three week intervals. The strengthening effect alsoseems to vary with the type of formulation.