Abstract
Oil well cements have received a significant amount of attention in recent years due to their use in high-risk conditions combined with their exposure to extremely aggressive environments. Adequate resistance to temperature, pressure, and carbonation is necessary to ensure the integrity of the well, with conventional cements prone to chemical degradation when exposed to CO2 molecules. Here, the local atomic structural changes occurring during the accelerated carbonation (100% CO2) of a sustainable cement, alkali-activated slag (AAS) have been investigated using in situ X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function analysis. The results reveal that the extent of carbonation-induced chemical degradation, which is governed by the removal of calcium from the calcium-alumino-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) gel, can be reduced by tailoring the precursor chemistry; specifically the magnesium content. High-magnesium AAS pastes are seen to form stable magnesium-containing amorphous calcium carbonate phases, which pr...
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