The treatment of a typical soft limestone with different consolidants : a comparative study : treatment tests on the globigerina limestone used in Maltese architecture

Abstract

Consolidation trials were carried out on samples of the Globigerina Limestone of the Maltese islands, utilising 4 commercially available organic products, in order to evaluate their efficacy. Quarry material was used so that all the samples would have the same physical characteristics. The consolidants were applied both by total immersion and by capillary absorption. Studies of the treated samples, which included also SEM scans and microanalysis, brought out the excellent properties of one of the four products used: it produced no colour changes, resulted in a total impregnation of the sample, underwent no superficial migration during evaporation, and also acted as a good water-repellent.