Enhancing carbonation curing of Wollastonite-Portland cementitious blends through 3D-printed vascular networks

Wollastonite, a low-lime calcium silicate offers low carbon emissions and forms stable calcium carbonates under carbonation.This study explores the integration of Wollastonite and Portland cement in a blended system designed for carbonation curing.While traditional accelerated carbonation curing improves surface hardness in ordinary Portland cement (OPC), its effectiveness is limited in deeper regions due to restricted CO2 diffusion, which hinders both mechanical enhancement and CO2 sequestration.To address this, a novel approach utilizing embedded 3Dprinted vascular networks is introduced, facilitating deeper CO2 penetration and a higher overall carbonation degree.The vascular channels, with diameters of 300, 500, 700, and 900 m, were evaluated for their impact on the morphology and composition of the channel walls postcarbonation.Additionally, the compressive strength of 500 m cubic samples oriented radially from the channels was assessed.The results provide valuable insights for optimizing vascular network designs in carbonation-hardened cementitious materials.