Effect of water-repellent admixtures on the behaviour of aerial lime-based mortars

Two different anionic surfactants, sodium oleate and calcium stearate, commercialized as water repellents for cement-based mortars, were added to lime-based mortars in order to check whether they were improved by these admixtures. Different properties of lime-based mortars were evaluated: fresh state behaviour through water retention, air content and setting time, hardened state properties such as density, water absorption through capillarity, water vapour permeability, long-term compressive strengths, pore structure through mercury intrusion porosimetry, and durability assessed by means of freezing–thawing cycles. A clear improvement in lime-based mortars was achieved when sodium oleate was added: strong capillarity reduction and excellent durability in the face of freezing–thawing processes, without any compressive strength drop. The mechanism for this improvement was related to air void formation due to the air-entraining ability of these surfactants. Insolubility of calcium stearate turned out to be responsible for fewer air bubbles – as SEM examination revealed – and showed lower effectiveness.