The physical processes of salts in a mixture are one of the most unpredictable in nature and an area of science in which theoretical predictions deviate from experimental results. To counter this problem the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO) has funded a four year PhD research, a collaboration between the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA), Ghent University (Department of Geology), University of Antwerp (Heritage Department) and the Belgian Building Research Institute (BBRI). With national and international partners, such as, The University of Hamburg (Institute for Inorganic and Applied Chemistry) and University College London (Institute for Sustainable Heritage).