@Article{ee.2026.074246,
AUTHOR = {Mahboobeh Attaei, Maria Vieira, Cinthia Maia Pederneiras, Filipa Clara Coimbra, David Bastos, Rosário Veiga},
TITLE = {CO<sub><b>2</b></sub> Capture in Construction Materials: Review of Uptake Approaches and Energy Considerations},
JOURNAL = {Energy Engineering},
VOLUME = {123},
YEAR = {2026},
NUMBER = {4},
PAGES = {0--0},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/energy/v123n4/66742},
ISSN = {1546-0118},
ABSTRACT = {The construction industry is a significant contributor to global CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, and urgent innovation is needed to mitigate its environmental impact. This paper provides a comprehensive review of scalable approaches for CO<sub>2</sub> uptake in construction materials, including the injection of CO<sub>2</sub> into fresh concrete, the CO<sub>2</sub> curing of precast concrete, and the use of ceramics as CO<sub>2</sub> sinks. Among these three approaches, CO<sub>2</sub> curing methods for concrete represent the most advanced and widely adopted strategies within industrial practice, with substantial research supporting their effectiveness and scalability. The comparison of carbonation mineralisation across three distinct material groups reveals that the direct injection of CO<sub>2</sub> into fresh concrete mixes results in CO<sub>2</sub> uptake of less than 3 kg/m<sup>3</sup>. For the precast concrete elements, the CO<sub>2</sub> uptake ranges from 30 to 350 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, while ceramics can achieve uptake efficiencies up to 23 wt.% under pilot-scale conditions. Achieving efficient CO<sub>2</sub> uptake in fresh and precast concrete without compromising mechanical properties relies on precise control over the CO<sub>2</sub> dose, a tailored mix design, and optimised curing conditions, while avoiding excessive carbonation that could reduce alkalinity or durability. Valorisation of carbonated materials as supplementary cementitious components or aggregates is identified as an important circular solution, though further research is needed to address regeneration, performance, and standardisation. The review highlights ongoing gaps in life-cycle assessment and industrial-scale validation, and recommends future work on durability and techno-economic optimisation for robust decarbonisation in the cement and concrete industries.},
DOI = {10.32604/ee.2026.074246}
}