| Egyptian Journal of Archeological and Restoration Studies

Authors:
Abu Alhassan, Y.
Cultural Resources Management and Conservation dept., School of Archaeology and Tourism, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

Abstract:
Salt weathering is considered one of the most important factors leading to the damage of Petra’s monuments. Inhabiting or limiting the crystallization of these salts could therefore prevent/slow down the destruction of Petra’s sandstones. Using of sodium ferrocyanide as a salt crystallization inhibitor has been proved in the past as a pro-spective treatment measure against salt weathering. This study is the first to inv-estigate the effectiveness of salt crystallization inhibitor on a stone material loaded with a salt mixture. The effect of sodium ferrocyanide on the crystallization of salt mixtures inside sandstone samples from Petra has been studied. The results showed that using of inhibitor changes the crystal morphology of salts from cubic to dendrites, which makes the drying time faster than that of pure salt solution. Therefore, allows the salt to crystallize on the surface of the stone in the form of harmless efflorescence rather than destructive sub-florescence.

Keywords:
Salt weathering Salt mixtures Sodium ferrocyanide Crystallization inhibitor Efflorescence Sub-florescence

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