Why does an efflorescence appear?
In chemistry, efflorescence is defined as the migration of a salt to the surface of a porous material, where it forms a coating. The essential process usually involves the dissolving of an internally held salt in water. The water, with the salt now held in solution, migrates to the surface, then evaporates, leaving a coating of the salt. These efflorescent salt deposits tend to appear at the worst times, usually about a month after the building is constructed, and sometimes as long as a year after completion.
How to measure efflorescences?
The video above shows the steps that we have to follow in order to measure efficiently the amount of efflorescences that can appear in your bricks. There are several ways to treat them, but it is important to test the alternatives in a professional lab before you introduce the solution in your manufacturing process.
What do we recommend?
Barium Carbonate is one of the most used methods to deal with efflorescences, but it is not the only one. There are other additives that can be used that are, not only less harmful, but also cheaper and can help improve the properties of your clay and, therefore, your bricks. We recommend that you test several additives, biopolymers and substances in a professional laboratory in order to decide what is best for your process.
Maybe you would like this blog post about reducing scumming from structural bricks without Barium Carbonate.
