Carbonation
Low Carbon Concrete Routemap, Setting the agenda for a path to net zero, draft for consultation published by the Institution of Civil Engineers on 15 February 2022, states: ‘Carbonation is the reaction of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the environment with the calcium hydroxide – Ca(OH)2 – in the cement paste. CO2 is absorbed by the concrete during its use and end-of-life phases of its lifecycle.
UK Concrete and Cement Industry, Roadmap to Beyond Net Zero, Published by MPA UK Concrete in 2020, defines carbonation as: ‘the ability of concrete to naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere throughout its lifetime, at end of life and in any secondary use.’
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