Influences of CO₂-cured cement powders on hydration of cement paste

Carbonated cement pastes (CCP) can be used as stable carbon storage. In this work, CCP were systematically investigated as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)-like components used in ordinary Portland cement (OPC) paste. The fully hydrated cement pastes were pulverized into powders and then exposed to different CO₂ pressure conditions (i.e., 1.0, 2.0 and 2.5 MPa) for 24 h. These CCP powders were then mixed with OPC to form a new binder. Various fresh, hardened and microstructural properties of CCP powders and the mixtures were investigated. Initial results show that the CO₂ sequestration level of CCP increased with the growth of CO₂ pressure, and albeit a pozzolanic reaction occurred inside the mixture, the relatively higher water demand due to the use of 30% replacement of CCP led to the inferior workability and compressive strength than the control group. Finally, a conceptual model relating to the CCP-OPC paste was proposed, facilitating the comprehension of the hydration behaviours of CCP-OPC paste.