CO₂ mineralization curing steel slag-fly ash-Portland cement ternary paste: Mechanical properties, microstructure and life cycle assessment

Abstract

Using solid waste as a substitute for conventional cement has become an important way to reduce carbon emissions. This paper attempted to utilize steel slag (SS) and fly ash (FA) as supplementary cementitious material by utilizing CO₂ mineralization curing technology. This study examined the dominant and interactive influences of the residual water/cement ratio, CO₂ pressure, curing time, and SS content on the mechanical properties and CO₂ uptake rate of CO₂ mineralization curing SS-FA-Portland cement ternary paste specimens. Additionally, microstructural development was analyzed. The findings demonstrated that each factor significantly affected compressive strength and CO₂ uptake rate, with factor interactions becoming more pronounced at higher SS dosages (>30%), lower residual water/cement ratios (0.1–0.15), and CO₂ pressures of 0.1–0.3 MPa. Microscopic examinations revealed that mineralization primarily yielded CaCO₃ and silica gel. The residual w/c ratio and SS content significantly influenced the CaCO₃ content and crystallinity of the mineralization products. Post-mineralization curing, the percentage of pores larger than 50 nm significantly decreased, the proportion of harmless pores smaller than 20 nm increased, and pore structure improved. This study also found that using CO₂ mineralization curing SS-FA-Portland cement solid waste concrete can significantly reduce the negative impact on the environment.

Keywords

ternary paste / CO₂ curing / response surface methodology / life cycle assessment

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