Tetraethyl Orthosilicate (TEOS) for the Consolidation Processes in Stones.

The work is related to the possibility to evaluate the efficiency and the behavior of a consolidant when applied on the ancient stones of historical buildings. The development of a mathematical model of consolidation processes allowed to define the behavior of the consolidant inside the porosity of the stones, where it can arrive (core or surface) and how much time it is necessary to have the hardening of the consolidant. Among the adhesives commonly used, the TEOS (Tetraethyl Orthosilicate or Ethyl Silicate) was used because its consolidant process is well known. A mathematical model is built considering the physical properties of the rock, the environmental conditions and the dynamics of the whole process. A test method by providing some preliminary results was defined, in order to give a first confirmation of our mathematical approach. These experimental tests are useful to estimate the parameters for the mathematical model from a simple specimen of the stone, instead of the whole monument.