The difference in the carbonation process of β and γ dicalcium silicate

Abstract

The carbonation curing of cementitious materials has received growing attention in recent years, especially in light of efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It enables the rapid hydration of conventional binders, such as ordinary Portland cement, and also offers great potential for activating suitable industrial wastes containing non-hydraulic phases.
The main mineralogical phases studied β-dicalcium silicate (β-C₂S) and γ-dicalcium silicate (γ-C₂S) were synthesised for the investigation. The hydration and carbonation reactivity of these phases was examined using isothermal calorimetry. Asignificantly higher reactivity with CO₂ was observed for γ-C₂S. The carbonation and hydration products of these phases were characterized using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).