Carbonation Resistance of Alkali-Activated Slag Under Natural and Accelerated Conditions

Abstract

The use of alkali-activated slag (AAS) has been recognised for a long time as an
alternative solution to Ordinary Portland cement-based binders. However, the
durability of AAS-based binders is still unknown1, which limits their application in engineering practice. Carbonation is of the great interest for AAS since it induces both chemical and physical changes. The change of the pore structure after carbonation and CO2 uptake for AAS are rarely reported. This paper investigates the carbonation of AAS pastes in natural (laboratory and outdoors (unsheltered)) and accelerated conditions. The effect of the different exposure conditions on AAS pastes was studied in terms of the gel pore structure, chemical and mechanical properties.