Temperature-regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag: Enhanced carbonation, strength, and CO2 mineralization for sustainable building materials

This study systematically examines the effects of temperature on the carbonation consolidation of steel slag in ammonium carbonate solution, aiming to develop sustainable building materials and improve CO2 mineralization efficiency. By exposing steel slag compacts to curing temperatures of 20 °C, 40...

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Main Authors: Ziping Pan, Jiajie Li, Xingtong Yue, Zeping Wu, Dongdong Zhang, Yingxi Hu, Wen Ni, Michael Hitch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425019210
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author Ziping Pan
Jiajie Li
Xingtong Yue
Zeping Wu
Dongdong Zhang
Yingxi Hu
Wen Ni
Michael Hitch
author_facet Ziping Pan
Jiajie Li
Xingtong Yue
Zeping Wu
Dongdong Zhang
Yingxi Hu
Wen Ni
Michael Hitch
author_sort Ziping Pan
collection DOAJ
description This study systematically examines the effects of temperature on the carbonation consolidation of steel slag in ammonium carbonate solution, aiming to develop sustainable building materials and improve CO2 mineralization efficiency. By exposing steel slag compacts to curing temperatures of 20 °C, 40 °C, and 60 °C, the research shows that higher temperatures significantly enhance both the compressive strength and carbonation conversion of the material. Specifically, the 60 °C curing group achieved a peak compressive strength of 118.38 MPa, which is 114 % greater than at 20 °C, emphasizing the vital role of temperature in speeding up reaction kinetics and fostering the formation of strong carbonation-hydration products. Comprehensive characterizations—including uniaxial compression, total carbon analysis, XRD, TG-DTG, FT-IR, and SEM—indicate that higher temperatures promote Ca2+ dissolution, increase calcium carbonate crystallinity, and encourage the development of denser microstructures. The addition of ammonium carbonate not only aids mass transfer and Ca2+ extraction but also introduces a new mineralization pathway involving carbamate ions. These findings offer a theoretical and experimental basis for optimizing the carbonation process of steel slag, advancing its use as an eco-friendly construction material with significant CO2 sequestration potential.
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id doaj-art-a62d0e0f4bbb4b0b8618265eff9aa6ed
institution DOAJ
issn 2238-7854
language English
publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Journal of Materials Research and Technology
spelling doaj-art-a62d0e0f4bbb4b0b8618265eff9aa6ed2025-08-20T02:49:55ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-09-013889390410.1016/j.jmrt.2025.07.264Temperature-regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag: Enhanced carbonation, strength, and CO2 mineralization for sustainable building materialsZiping Pan0Jiajie Li1Xingtong Yue2Zeping Wu3Dongdong Zhang4Yingxi Hu5Wen Ni6Michael Hitch7Key Laboratory of Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, Ministry of Education, School of Resource and Safety Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, Ministry of Education, School of Resource and Safety Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China; Corresponding author.Key Laboratory of Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, Ministry of Education, School of Resource and Safety Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China; Corresponding author.Key Laboratory of Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, Ministry of Education, School of Resource and Safety Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, Ministry of Education, School of Resource and Safety Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, Ministry of Education, School of Resource and Safety Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, Ministry of Education, School of Resource and Safety Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, ChinaFaculty of Science, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, V2S 7M8, BC, CanadaThis study systematically examines the effects of temperature on the carbonation consolidation of steel slag in ammonium carbonate solution, aiming to develop sustainable building materials and improve CO2 mineralization efficiency. By exposing steel slag compacts to curing temperatures of 20 °C, 40 °C, and 60 °C, the research shows that higher temperatures significantly enhance both the compressive strength and carbonation conversion of the material. Specifically, the 60 °C curing group achieved a peak compressive strength of 118.38 MPa, which is 114 % greater than at 20 °C, emphasizing the vital role of temperature in speeding up reaction kinetics and fostering the formation of strong carbonation-hydration products. Comprehensive characterizations—including uniaxial compression, total carbon analysis, XRD, TG-DTG, FT-IR, and SEM—indicate that higher temperatures promote Ca2+ dissolution, increase calcium carbonate crystallinity, and encourage the development of denser microstructures. The addition of ammonium carbonate not only aids mass transfer and Ca2+ extraction but also introduces a new mineralization pathway involving carbamate ions. These findings offer a theoretical and experimental basis for optimizing the carbonation process of steel slag, advancing its use as an eco-friendly construction material with significant CO2 sequestration potential.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425019210Steel slag carbonationAmmonium carbonate curingCO2 mineralizationCompressive strengthSustainable building materialsCuring temperature
spellingShingle Ziping Pan
Jiajie Li
Xingtong Yue
Zeping Wu
Dongdong Zhang
Yingxi Hu
Wen Ni
Michael Hitch
Temperature-regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag: Enhanced carbonation, strength, and CO2 mineralization for sustainable building materials
Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Steel slag carbonation
Ammonium carbonate curing
CO2 mineralization
Compressive strength
Sustainable building materials
Curing temperature
title Temperature-regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag: Enhanced carbonation, strength, and CO2 mineralization for sustainable building materials
title_full Temperature-regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag: Enhanced carbonation, strength, and CO2 mineralization for sustainable building materials
title_fullStr Temperature-regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag: Enhanced carbonation, strength, and CO2 mineralization for sustainable building materials
title_full_unstemmed Temperature-regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag: Enhanced carbonation, strength, and CO2 mineralization for sustainable building materials
title_short Temperature-regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag: Enhanced carbonation, strength, and CO2 mineralization for sustainable building materials
title_sort temperature regulated ammonium carbonate curing of steel slag enhanced carbonation strength and co2 mineralization for sustainable building materials
topic Steel slag carbonation
Ammonium carbonate curing
CO2 mineralization
Compressive strength
Sustainable building materials
Curing temperature
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425019210
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