{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:30:47Z","timestamp":1760059847688,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,16]],"date-time":"2025-07-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752624000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The development of sustainable cementitious materials is crucial to reduce the environmental footprint of the construction industry. Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have emerged as promising environmentally friendly alternatives; however, their compatibility with natural stone in heritage structures remains poorly understood, especially regarding salt migration and related damage to stones. This study presents a novel methodology for assessing salt movement in solid materials between two types of stones\u2014Bo\u00f1ar and Silos\u2014and two types of binders: blended Portland cement (BPC) and an AAM. The samples underwent capillarity and immersion tests to evaluate water absorption, salt transport, and efflorescence behavior. The capillarity of the Silos stone was 0.148 kg\u00b7m\u22122\u00b7t\u22120.5, whereas this was 0.0166 kg\u00b7m\u22122\u00b7t\u22120.5 for the Bo\u00f1ar stone, a ninefold difference. Conductivity mapping and XRD analysis revealed that AAM-based mortars exhibit a significantly higher release of salts, primarily sodium sulfate, which may pose a risk to adjacent porous stones. In contrast, BPC showed lower salt mobility and different salt compositions. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating the compatibility between alternative binders and heritage stones. The use of AAMs may pose significant risks due to their tendency to release soluble salts. Although, in the current experiments, no pore damage or mechanical degradation was observed, additional studies are required to confirm this. A thorough understanding of salt transport mechanisms is therefore essential to ensure that sustainable restoration materials do not inadvertently accelerate the deterioration of structures, a process more problematic when the deterioration affects heritage monuments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma18143340","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,16]],"date-time":"2025-07-16T10:46:05Z","timestamp":1752662765000},"page":"3340","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Novel Methodology to Assess Salt Movement Between Mortar and Stones from Heritage in Spain"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4523-579X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Linde","family":"Pollet","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), 2400 Geel, Belgium"},{"name":"Research Group NuTeC, Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9048-7021","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Antol\u00edn-Rodr\u00edguez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department Engineering and Agricultural Sciences, Universidad de Le\u00f3n, 24004 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3276-5871","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Josep","family":"Gisbert-Aguilar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Geology, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6636-8305","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriel","family":"B\u00fardalo-Salcedo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Aerospace, Universidad de Le\u00f3n, 24004 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0902-6429","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andr\u00e9s","family":"Juan-Vald\u00e9s","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department Engineering and Agricultural Sciences, Universidad de Le\u00f3n, 24004 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1852-8105","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C\u00e9sar","family":"Garc\u00eda-\u00c1lvarez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Artistic and Documentary Heritage, Universidad de Le\u00f3n, 24004 L\u00e9on, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-6155-3093","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angel","family":"Raga-Mart\u00edn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Applied Physics and Chemistry, Universidad de Le\u00f3n, 24004 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9899-5269","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wouter","family":"Schroeyers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group NuTeC, Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK), Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0464-3495","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"V\u00edctor","family":"Calvo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Carboqu\u00edmica (ICB-CSIC), 50018 Zaragoza, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8228-6705","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Fern\u00e1ndez-Raga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Applied Physics and Chemistry, Universidad de Le\u00f3n, 24004 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3686","DOI":"10.1002\/bse.2834","article-title":"Innovation and the circular economy: A systematic literature review","volume":"30","author":"Suchek","year":"2021","journal-title":"Bus. 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