Clinkering-free cementation by fly ash carbonation

Zhenhua Wei, Bu Wang, Gabriel Falzone, Erika Callagon La Plante, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo, Zhenyu She, Tandre Oey, Magdalena Balonis, Narayanan Neithalath, Laurent Pilon, Gaurav Sant

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

60 Scopus citations

Abstract

The production of ordinary portland cement (OPC) is a CO2 intensive process. Specifically, OPC clinkering reactions not only require substantial energy in the form of heat, but they also result in the release of CO2; i.e., from both the decarbonation of limestone and the combustion of fuel to provide heat. To create alternatives to this CO2 intensive process, this paper demonstrates a new route for clinkering-free cementation by the carbonation of fly ash; i.e., a by-product of coal combustion. It is shown that in moist environments and at sub-boiling temperatures, Ca-rich fly ashes react readily with gas-phase CO2 to produce robustly cemented solids. After seven days of exposure to vapor-phase CO2 at 75 °C, such formulations achieve a compressive strength of around 35 MPa and take-up 9% CO2 (i.e., by mass of fly ash solids). On the other hand, Ca-poor fly ashes due to their reduced alkalinity (i.e., low abundance of mobile Ca- or Mg-species), show limited potential for CO2 uptake and strength gain—although this deficiency can be somewhat addressed by the provision of supplemental/extrinsic Ca agents. The roles of CO2 concentration and processing temperature are discussed, and linked to the progress of reactions and the development of microstructure. The outcomes create new pathways for achieving clinkering-free cementation while enabling the beneficial utilization (“upcycling”) of emitted CO2 and fly ash; i.e., two abundant, but underutilized industrial by-products.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)117-127
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of CO2 Utilization
Volume23
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2018

Keywords

  • CO
  • Cementation
  • Concrete
  • Fly ash
  • Strength
  • Upcycling

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Chemical Engineering (miscellaneous)
  • Waste Management and Disposal
  • Process Chemistry and Technology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Clinkering-free cementation by fly ash carbonation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this