DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24#0030
24 —
NUBIAN SANDSTONE.
Chemical Composition.
(Analyses made in Survey Department Laboratories).
ING-UEDIENT.
Moisture and matter volatile at
100 0° ................
Combined water, carbon dioxide
and organic matter
Silica and insoluble silicates
Oxide of Iron i
Alumina >......
Oxide of manganese \
Lime............
Magnesia.........
Potash .........
Soda............
Chlorine .........
Sodium chloride ...
Nitric anhydride ...
Phosphoric anhydride
Sulphuric anhydride
Carbon dioxide
Organic matter
Totals...
6-62
1-47
88-62
2-8S
trace
trace
trace
trace
99-59
3-00
0-89
93-90
1-76
0-52
trace
trace
trace
100-07
]-49
3-33
90-10
5-20
0-30
trace
trace
trace
100-48
6-68
8-52
33-98
45-68
4-70
trace
trace
0-39
99-95
% .
0-85
0-02
97-26
0-56
0-44
trace
11-10
trace
100-23
1-84
85-44
3*16
0-52
0-34
trace
3-83
2-50
1-58
99-21
1-92
2-81
So-90
2-01
2-25
0-82
2-65
1-64
100-00
8
3-08
90-69
1-44
1-02
0-72
1-46
100-00
°/c
2-95
2*93
87*50
1-00
0-96
1-06
3-60
100-00
10
0-03
0-35
98-91
0-68
trace
trace
trace
nil
99-97
11
°/o
0-06
0-88
95-31
0-34
1-71
0-41
0'09
0-45
0-26
0-07
0-36
trace
0-0(
nil
trace
100-00
12
0-06
0-91
96-57
0-49
1-03
0-38
0-19
0-19
0-09
trace
nil
trace
0-09
nil
trace
100-00
Nos. 1 to 9 inclusive........ Samples from, columns in Hypostyle Hall, Karnak.
No. 10.............. ,, ,, Silsila quarries.
Nos. 11 and 12.......... ,, ,, Philse Island.
The stone, then, which has been used in the construction of the temples, and on which
the inscriptions and figures have been carved, is a moderately fine-grained sandstone of no
great hardness or strength, the grains of quartz which constitute it being but lightly cemented
together ; very porous ; having oxides of iron and manganese in spots and veins which produce
discoloration; and containing a small percentage of soluble salts. The salts originally
present/ in the stone are chiefly chlorides and sulphates, the chlorides largely preponderating ;
they are in no way corrosive, and if the stone remains dry no injury whatever can take place
and no additional salts can gain access. If the stone be entirely submerged the same result
holds good, any solvent action exerted by the water, even though aided by the salts present,
is so small as to be inappreciable and quite negligible from a practical standpoint.
If, on the other hand, the stone is wetted and then allowed to dry or partially dry again,
the salts are dissolved in the water, and by capillary attraction are brought to the surface,
where they crystallize out as the water evaporates. This crystallization takes place not only
on the outside of the stone, but also between and underneath the individual particles forming
the surface layers, and the force of crystallization separate the particles and may eventually
NUBIAN SANDSTONE.
Chemical Composition.
(Analyses made in Survey Department Laboratories).
ING-UEDIENT.
Moisture and matter volatile at
100 0° ................
Combined water, carbon dioxide
and organic matter
Silica and insoluble silicates
Oxide of Iron i
Alumina >......
Oxide of manganese \
Lime............
Magnesia.........
Potash .........
Soda............
Chlorine .........
Sodium chloride ...
Nitric anhydride ...
Phosphoric anhydride
Sulphuric anhydride
Carbon dioxide
Organic matter
Totals...
6-62
1-47
88-62
2-8S
trace
trace
trace
trace
99-59
3-00
0-89
93-90
1-76
0-52
trace
trace
trace
100-07
]-49
3-33
90-10
5-20
0-30
trace
trace
trace
100-48
6-68
8-52
33-98
45-68
4-70
trace
trace
0-39
99-95
% .
0-85
0-02
97-26
0-56
0-44
trace
11-10
trace
100-23
1-84
85-44
3*16
0-52
0-34
trace
3-83
2-50
1-58
99-21
1-92
2-81
So-90
2-01
2-25
0-82
2-65
1-64
100-00
8
3-08
90-69
1-44
1-02
0-72
1-46
100-00
°/c
2-95
2*93
87*50
1-00
0-96
1-06
3-60
100-00
10
0-03
0-35
98-91
0-68
trace
trace
trace
nil
99-97
11
°/o
0-06
0-88
95-31
0-34
1-71
0-41
0'09
0-45
0-26
0-07
0-36
trace
0-0(
nil
trace
100-00
12
0-06
0-91
96-57
0-49
1-03
0-38
0-19
0-19
0-09
trace
nil
trace
0-09
nil
trace
100-00
Nos. 1 to 9 inclusive........ Samples from, columns in Hypostyle Hall, Karnak.
No. 10.............. ,, ,, Silsila quarries.
Nos. 11 and 12.......... ,, ,, Philse Island.
The stone, then, which has been used in the construction of the temples, and on which
the inscriptions and figures have been carved, is a moderately fine-grained sandstone of no
great hardness or strength, the grains of quartz which constitute it being but lightly cemented
together ; very porous ; having oxides of iron and manganese in spots and veins which produce
discoloration; and containing a small percentage of soluble salts. The salts originally
present/ in the stone are chiefly chlorides and sulphates, the chlorides largely preponderating ;
they are in no way corrosive, and if the stone remains dry no injury whatever can take place
and no additional salts can gain access. If the stone be entirely submerged the same result
holds good, any solvent action exerted by the water, even though aided by the salts present,
is so small as to be inappreciable and quite negligible from a practical standpoint.
If, on the other hand, the stone is wetted and then allowed to dry or partially dry again,
the salts are dissolved in the water, and by capillary attraction are brought to the surface,
where they crystallize out as the water evaporates. This crystallization takes place not only
on the outside of the stone, but also between and underneath the individual particles forming
the surface layers, and the force of crystallization separate the particles and may eventually