A Preliminary Study on the Characteristics of Lime-Based Mortars with Egg White Addition

ABSTRACT

The present study focused on the characteristics of lime-based mortars with egg white addition prepared according to a historic Chinese recipe. Results suggested that under dry curing condition, the addition of egg white into mortars could decrease water absorption and increase surface hardness and compressive strength. Hardness and strength values of mortars cured under humid condition, however, were compromised by the egg white addition. Analyses results showed that under dry curing, egg white could inhibit carbonation and form amorphous calcium carbonate in the specimens, while under humid curing, egg white would impede hydration reactions and increase mortar pore size.

KEYWORDS:

• Amorphous calcium carbonate
• analysis
• egg white
• mortar
• organic additive

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests to report.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number B0501 21975202]; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant number 2020M673457]; Innovation Chain Project of Key Industries in Shaanxi province, China [grant number 2019ZDLSF07-05]; Collaborative Innovation Team Foundation of University in Gansu Province, China [grant number 2017C-20].