Due to its ability to evaporate completely at room temperature, menthol has recently been proposed for use as a new kind of temporary consolidant at the excavation site of Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Army. Compared to cyclododecane (CDD), the most widely used temporary consolidant, menthol has the advantages of a longer working time, a well established safety profile and easy local availability. In this paper, in order to better understand the temporary consolidation behaviour of menthol and to guide its optimal use in the field, laboratory experiments are carried out on ISO standard sand substrate in conditions mimicking the situation of an archaeological excavation. Basic and important knowledge about menthol, which is related to its effectiveness in temporary consolidation, such as penetration into the substrates, the solidification process and the degradation of the efficiency of consolidation over the sublimation time, are systematically studied. The results show that the penetration of menthol is notably affected by the substrate's temperature, particle size, distribution and water content.