Effect of supplementary cementitious materials on carbonation of cement pastes

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) are increasingly used in concrete for economical and environmental reasons. However, the durability of reinforced concretes against, for example, corrosion induced by carbonation varies. Here, the phase assemblage of various cement pastes with/without SCM (slag, fly ash and metakaolin), carbonated in accelerated conditions (1.5% CO2 and 65% RH) or not, has been investigated by various technics (XRD, TGA/DTA and Si-29 as well as Al-27 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and compared. Results show that, after carbonation, anhydrous phases are less decalcified than hydrated phases. In cement pastes with slag, most of the calcium remains in the non-hydrated part of the slag. In contrast, the C-A,S-H phase is deeply modified and results show a coupling between C-A,S-H and hydrated aluminate phases during carbonation. In all carbonated materials, these phases tend to become an aluminosilicate gel, a very amorphous/disordered phase, containing less water than the original hydrates.

Automated summary

The study found that anhydrous phases are less decalcified than hydrated phases after carbonation, with most of the calcium in slag-containing cement pastes remaining in the non-hydrated part of the slag. The C-A,S-H phase undergoes significant modification during carbonation, showing a coupling with hydrated aluminate phases. Ultimately, in all carbonated materials, these phases tend to form an aluminosilicate gel with less water content than the original hydrates.