A preliminary study on the efficiency of the steel slag-based spraying carbonation layer in improving the durability of cement-based products

The idea of using a steel slag-based spraying carbonation layer to improve the durability of cement-based products was proposed. The carbonation layer was prepared by spraying the steel slag-based slurry on the surface of cement-based products and then curing them with high-concentration CO2. The results showed that the carbonation layer had excellent sulfate resistance; additionally, it effectively protected the standard-cured and steam-cured mortars from sulfate attack and reduced the chloride ions migration coefficient of both standard-cured and steam-cured mortars significantly by 57.1% and 53.8%, respectively. The protection of the carbonation layer on mortars was attributed to the better pore structure of the carbonation layer and the dense interfacial transition zone of the carbonation layer and mortar matrix. The steel slag-based spraying carbonation layer recycled the steel slag, solidified CO2, and improved the durability of cement-based products, which had great environmental and engineering significance.