Carbonation reaction of lime, kinetics at ambient temperature

The uptake of carbon dioxide due to the carbonation reaction of Ca(OH)₂ in ambient temperature of approximately 20 °C has been studied. Different types of lime have been used and the CO₂ concentration has been varied to identify the influence of different variables on the kinetics of the reaction. A closed loop system has been developed and validated that allows measurement of the carbonation progress directly from monitoring CO₂ uptake. Thermal analysis (TA) was used to verify the degree of carbonation that reached up to 83%. Factor analysis on the data set has demonstrated that reaction speed is not dependent upon the CO₂ concentration within the limits tested. Carbonation speed depends on the specific surface of the lime. The results of this study contribute to research carried out on lime mortar carbonation models and on the carbonation process in general.