New Building Material from Waste Concrete by Carbonation

A new recycled material derived from waste concrete using a CO2-activated hardening process is proposed. Waste autoclaved lightweight concrete powder was used as the starting material. The powder was mixed with water, compacted by pressing, and cured in high CO2 concentrations. The bending strength and the specific surface area of this hardened material increased as the degree of carbonation was increased. The hardened material had a high moisture absorption and desorption performance, suggesting potential application to the interior wall having a moisture control function.