Chemical and microstructural analysis of plaster sampled from the castle Sychrov (CR) – Breton tower

Abstract

The analysed mortar contains 76.5% by weight quartz sand and 23.5% wt. the lime binder - it is highly hydraulic lime. The aggregate of the mortar is made up mostly of quartz. The hydraulicity of the contained lime binder is evidenced by the presence of belitic clinkers, a strongly inhomogeneous microstructure (typical alternation of dense, Ca-enriched parts and more porous decalcified areas) and the presence of silicate components in varying degrees of reaction. It is suggested that the hydraulic binder used could have been artificially prepared by mixing lime with a hydraulic silicate additive