Recent advances in carbonatable binders

Carbonatable binder is relatively a new member of the cement family. This paper aims to review the progress in carbonatable binders given the increasing attention paid to this topic since the last International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement in 2019. Unlike hydraulic binders such as OPC and CSA clinkers, carbonatable binders react with CO2 in the presence of moisture to produce calcium carbonate as the major binding phase. This holds great potential in the utilization of emitted CO2 from anthropogenic sources. This paper will start with the introduction of definition and classification of carbonatable binders, followed by the presentation of phase composition, reactivity, microstructure and reaction mechanism. Lastly, a few cases on the recent production and application of carbonatable binders are introduced in the building industry.