STUDIES ON DEGRADATION OF LIME MORTARS IN ATMOSPHERIC SIMULATION CHAMBERS

It is well known that the presence of pollution increases the degradat ion of some building materials. In order to understand the influence o f individual pollutants as well as the role of oxidants and water in l ime mortar degradation, those materials have been exposed in atmospher ic simulation chambers. According to the pollutants used in the chambe rs (NO, NO2 and SO2), NO2. and NO3. or SO32- and SO42-. have been anal ysed and related with the reaction between the lime mortar and the pol lutant. The reactivity order of the different pollutant (NO, NO2 and S O2), in presence and absence of water and/or oxidant has been determin ed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.