Plugging effect of fine pore water in OPC and LC3 paste during accelerated carbonation monitored via single-sided nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

This study investigates the influence of CO2 concentration on the carbonation process in cementitious paste, focusing on water content distribution in ordinary Portlandite cement and limestone-calcined clay cement (LC3). Employing single-sided nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for water profiling, we revealed that under accelerated carbonation of 5 % and 1 %, the water content in fine pores (interlayer space and gel pores) kept constant at the carbonation front, demonstrating the plugging effect where fine pore water removal governs carbonation progress. This effect was absent under natural carbonation conditions because evaporation precedes the carbonation process. This study emphasizes that to accurately characterize cementitious materials under natural carbonation conditions, CO2 concentrations in accelerated methods should be constrained to prevent the plugging effect.