Ettringite formation in historic bath brick-lime plasters

Abstract

Two types of historic hydraulic brick-lime plasters from a selected Ottoman bath are examined to characterize their technology and the appropriateness of their use in bath. The first type of plaster is original and structurally sound, while the historic repair plaster is the second type and is found to have deteriorated despite being exposed to the same environment. This difference is investigated by comparing their raw material compositions and the pozzolanic activities of the brick powders used in the plasters. Although these results showed no significant differences, ettringite crystals are detected in the historic repair ones by XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDS analysis. The repair plaster may have lost its integrity owing to the expansion generated by the growth of ettringite crystals in the plaster. In this study, the ettringite formation is discussed in relation to hydration reaction products of lime-brick plasters, possible sources of gypsum, and the climatic conditions of historic bath building.