Carbon Dioxide Boosts Cement Strength by 13% Through Chemistry Change

WHO:

Phys.org - Researchers from MIT's Pierce Laboratory, including Associate Professor Admir Masic and graduate student Marcin Hajduczek, along with co-authors Santiago El Awad and Franz-Josef Ulm, and researchers from IIT Jodhpur and CarbonCure Technologies.

WHAT:

Phys.org - CO2 injection into cement paste results in a 13% increase in early strength.

MIT News - The research describes a chemical sequence that occurs when CO2 meets fresh cement paste, visualized for the first time using Raman spectroscopy.

MIT News - The process of injecting CO2 into cement products is gaining commercial interest, with a growing number of companies offering CO2-injected concrete mixes.

WHERE:

Phys.org - The research was conducted at MIT's Pierce Laboratory.

WHEN:

MIT News - The findings are published in an open-access paper in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society.

WHY:

MIT News - Injecting CO2 into cement products is a method to store carbon and reduce atmospheric CO2 levels.

HOW:

Phys.org - Researchers depressurized a tank of liquid CO2, which froze and released solid flakes that were blended into cement paste.

MIT News - The team used Raman confocal microscopy to observe the transient chemical reactions in CO2-injected cement paste.

MIT News - The process involves three acts: capturing calcium, the formation of a ghostly gel, and a rewired matrix, with specific chemical reactions occurring at each stage.

(UPDATED June 12, 2026 06:37 UTC)

Researchers from MIT's Pierce Laboratory, including Associate Professor Admir Masic and graduate student Marcin Hajduczek, have made significant strides in cement technology by demonstrating that injecting CO2 into cement paste can lead to a 13% increase in early strength. This innovative process, which involves a series of chemical reactions visualized for the first time using Raman spectroscopy, is attracting commercial interest as more companies begin to offer CO2-injected concrete mixes. The findings, published in an open-access paper in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society, highlight a promising method for carbon storage that could help reduce atmospheric CO2 levels.