Influence of Curing Conditions on Microstructural Evolution in Cement Pastes: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study investigated the hydration reactions and mechanical properties of cement pastes under different curing conditions. After 3 days of curing in water or under humid conditions, hydrates such as ettringite, hydroxy-AFm, Ca(OH)2, and C–S–H were produced. CO2 curing resulted in the carbonation of hydroxy-AFm and Ca(OH)2, while drying pre-conditioning before the CO2 curing additionally carbonated ettringite. Between 3 and 28 days, the hydration of C3A, which exists in small quantities, varied depending on the samples. Among the samples cured under water or humid conditions, no clear correlation was found between porosity, the amount of hydrates, and compressive strength. Notably, pores within the 100–1000 nm range were prominent in both CO2-curing samples during the first 3 days of CO2 curing. However, this did not compromise the early-age strength of the samples. The compressive strength of the CO2-cured sample was higher than that of the other samples.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Ca(OH)2; calcite; carbonation; Cement paste; curing; pores

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2165-0381; 2165-0373

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 Taylor and Francis Group; Taylor and Francis, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2025

Link to Full Text

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