Conservation of weathered historic sandstone with biomimetic apatite

The conservation of weathered historic sandstone with apatite was studied. Based on the growth mechanism of bone, calcium and phosphorus were introduced into weathered sandstone and then mineralized at room temperature. The conservation efficiency was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and compressive strength, capillary water uptake, water vapor permeability and weather resistance tests. The SEM, EDX, TEM, SAED and XRD results showed that the produced hydroxyapatite could reunite the weathered stone blocks and provide sufficient reinforcement to hold them together. The results of the various tests indicated that the compressive strength and weather resistance of the treated samples was improved significantly. In addition, because of the porous nature of apatite, the water vapor permeability of the treated stone was not affected and its breathability was maintained.