Advancing waste-based construction materials through carbon dioxide curing : a comprehensive review

Abstract

With an emphasis on solid waste-based construction materials, this study seeks to provide an in-depth analysis of current advancements in CO2 curing processes for building materials. 715 publications were extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases and reviewed following the systematic review guidelines integrated with the bibliometric analysis approach. The recent operational and environmental benefits of CO2 curing to obtain the characteristics of optimal materials were discussed. The findings demonstrated that early-age curing densifies the microstructure of waste-based construction materials, lowering porosity and enhancing mechanical properties, impermeability, and durability. Additionally, carbonation has the potential to enhance the performance of ash-based concretes as well as the microstructure and physical characteristics of recycled aggregates, hence promoting waste reutilization in the construction sector. Also, the conducted studies revealed that pre- and post-curing conditions are as critical as the CO2 chamber configuration. Moreover, exposure time, CO2 pressure and concentration, all directly influenced construction material characteristics and CO2 sequestration. More investigations related to improving the long-term characteristics of solid waste-based products with CO2 curing are still required as well as methods for increasing the carbonation rate.