Effect of atmospheric exposure on alkali activated binders and mortars from Mt. Etna volcanic precursors

Volcanic pyroclastic residues from Mt. Etna have been recently used to produce alkali activated materials to be employed in the restoration of the ancient buildings of the Etnean area. With the aim of preliminarily testing the durability of these products, binders and mortars have been exposed outdoors for six months. The characterization was achieved by a multi-analytical approach to determine the effect of the weathering; variations were evaluated in terms of composition, mechanical properties, dynamic vapour sorption, and visual aspect before and after exposure. The results show that both alkali activated binders and mortars are barely affected by atmospheric exposure.