The role of hydrotalcite-like phase and monosulfate in slag cement paste during atmospheric and accelerated carbonation

This paper identified carbonation products in the slag-rich cementitious systems upon three different exposure conditions, namely, long term exposure in the field, indoor natural exposure, and accelerated carbonation testing. Overall, mineralogy of the carbonation products was found to be fundamentally similar under different exposure environments. In the fully carbonated areas, no monosulfate and calcium hydroxide was observed, and calcium carbonate, carbonated hydrotalcite-like phase and Ca–Al AFm phases were identified as the main carbonate phases. In the mildly carbonated areas, monosulfate and calcium hydroxide clusters were detected again. With the continuous supply of CO2, monosulfate appeared to be consumed at first. Despite different exposure environments, carbonated Ca–Al AFm phases bound around 5% of CO2 penetrated into the matrix. Hydrotalcite-like phase was able to absorb more than 15% CO2 initially. However, this value decreased to around 10% in the fully carbonated areas. Therefore, more than 20% CO2 entered into hydrotalcite-like phase as well as Ca–Al AFm phases at first, and the involved reactions were harmless without any detrimental effect on cement matrix. Meanwhile, hydrotalcite-like phase was able to keep intact and its Mg/Al atomic ratio did not vary significantly during carbonation.