TY - JOUR

T1 - Optimizing carbon dioxide sequestration in waste concrete powder through polymer treatment

AU - Kravchenko, Ekaterina

AU - Лазоренко, Георгий Иванович

AU - Besklubova, Svetlana

AU - Raza, Muhammad Huzaifa

N1 - The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (grant No. FSUS-2024–0027) and the 'Priority 2030' program of the Southern Federal University, Russia.

PY - 2025/8

Y1 - 2025/8

N2 - Urbanization and reconstruction pose ecological challenges due to resource overexploitation and high CO2 emissions associated with construction. Waste concrete powder (WCP), often discarded in landfills, is explored for its potential in non-structural blocks. This research delves into the sequestration capabilities of WCP through laboratory investigations, specifically when treated with a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). PVA was selected for its compatibility with cementitious matrices and its ability to form uniform, cohesive polymer films that enhance particle bonding, improve microstructural integrity, and retain moisture. The results reveal that polymer treatment leads to a 27.7 % increase in the compressive strength of WCP compared to the untreated sample. This enhancement is attributed to the elevated content of calcium carbonates and improved microstructure of the WCP when its particles are coated with polymer films and interconnected by bridges, as confirmed by microstructure tests. Polymer facilitates the improvement of the sequestration properties of WCP, evident in the increased mass loss during thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Extending the carbonation time from 2 to 6 hours for PVA-treated WCP compacts resulted in CO2 absorption of 24.06 and 9.59 kgCO2 according to the mass gain and TGA methods.

AB - Urbanization and reconstruction pose ecological challenges due to resource overexploitation and high CO2 emissions associated with construction. Waste concrete powder (WCP), often discarded in landfills, is explored for its potential in non-structural blocks. This research delves into the sequestration capabilities of WCP through laboratory investigations, specifically when treated with a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). PVA was selected for its compatibility with cementitious matrices and its ability to form uniform, cohesive polymer films that enhance particle bonding, improve microstructural integrity, and retain moisture. The results reveal that polymer treatment leads to a 27.7 % increase in the compressive strength of WCP compared to the untreated sample. This enhancement is attributed to the elevated content of calcium carbonates and improved microstructure of the WCP when its particles are coated with polymer films and interconnected by bridges, as confirmed by microstructure tests. Polymer facilitates the improvement of the sequestration properties of WCP, evident in the increased mass loss during thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Extending the carbonation time from 2 to 6 hours for PVA-treated WCP compacts resulted in CO2 absorption of 24.06 and 9.59 kgCO2 according to the mass gain and TGA methods.

KW - Carbon sequestration

KW - Carbonation curing

KW - Polyvinyl alcohol

KW - Concrete recycling

KW - Carbon uptake

KW - Carbon footprint

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105009241040

U2 - 10.1016/j.jece.2025.117144

DO - 10.1016/j.jece.2025.117144

M3 - Article

VL - 13

JO - Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

JF - Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

SN - 2213-3437

IS - 4

M1 - 117144

ER -