Executive Summary : | Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in cement and concrete has the potential to remove CO2 from flue gases and contribute to carbon neutrality goals. Cement is a rich source of calcium carbonate that can store CO2 through early age carbonation curing, which forms stable calcium carbonate through the reaction of calcium phases with CO2. The industry has successfully implemented the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete for over two decades. Blended cement mixes containing SCMs offer the opportunity to absorb more CO2 during carbonation curing due to their porous microstructure at an early age. This work focuses on the use of multicyclic flue gas carbonation curing, which includes sequential preconditioning to remove moisture and carbonation curing to allow the gradual penetration of CO2 into cementitious mixes, increasing CO2 storage. The influence of each cycle of preconditioning and carbonation curing will be investigated with respect to the extent of carbonation front and CO2 uptake. Simulation flue gases mimicking the composition of flue gases from cement plants will be considered for concrete curing. The CO2 uptake of blended cements will be compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) to understand the role of different SCMs and their replacement ratio on CCUS. The study will also study the durability of carbon-cured cement mixes in terms of water absorption, permeable porosity, and surface resistivity. |