Can ancient stone avoid salt attacks?
From Boston, at a meeting of the Materials Research Society
Ancient buildings, monuments, and sculptures can’t escape harsh environmental conditions, including air pollution and salty ground and ocean water. Once salt water seeps into stone, salt crystals remain in the stone’s small, internal pores after the water evaporates. In time, as the crystals grow, they can exert stone-crumbling pressure.
Researchers now have a new means for defending stone treasures against crystal growth, reports George W. Scherer of Princeton University, who’s made a new protective coating.