The use of TG to measure different concentrations of lime in non-hydraulic lime mortars

A high speed method of thermal analysis was developed to allow the carbonation profile of lime mortars to be followed within a convenient time-frame. The loss in mass on heating, up to 700 deg C, of lime/sand mixtures of different proportions was related to the known quantity of lime in each mixture. It was shown that a heating rate of 50 deg C min produced data which had a very high correlation with known quantities of Ca(OH)2. Thismethod can be used to measure the extent of carbonation at varying depths through a limemortar. This can be repeated at intervals to give an insight into the shape and extent of the carbonation front as it develops over time.