Construction and Building Materials: Hamid Maljaee, Rozita Madadi, Helena Paiva, Luis Tarelho, Victor M. Ferreira

Construction and Building Materials 283 (2021) 122757
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Construction and Building Materials

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/conbuildmat
Review
Incorporation of biochar in cementitious materials: A roadmap

of biochar selection
Hamid Maljaee a,⇑, Rozita Madadi b, Helena Paiva a, Luis Tarelho c, Victor M. Ferreira d
a
CICECO/Department of Civil Engineering, University of Aveiro 3810-193 , Portugal
b
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
c
CESAM/Department of Environmental and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Portugal
d
RISCO/Department of Civil Engineering, University of Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal
h i g h l i g h t s
Biochar factors affecting the performance of cementitious materials are reviewed.

Effect of biochar addition on the properties of cement composites is reviewed.
A roadmap is provided for the selection of biochar into the cement composites.
An optimum biochar dosage as filler and cement replacement is introduced.
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history: Increasing cement production in construction sector and waste generation in industrial sectors are of the
Received 18 December 2020 major sources of CO2 emission. For decades, it has been the concern of environmentalists to convince con-
Received in revised form 15 February 2021 structors and researchers to find sustainable solutions targeting aforementioned problems. The attempts
Accepted 17 February 2021
focused on identification of wastes to be successfully complied with construction materials. Biochar has
Available online 10 March 2021
recently received attention due to several environmental and technological advantages, shortly include
carbon sequestration, low thermal conductivity, chemical stability and low flammability. For this reason,
Keywords:
biochar is recognized as an efficient candidate for cement or lightweight aggregates replacement in build-
Biochar
Cement mortar
ing materials. Biochar addition could result in a reduction of capillary absorption in mortar paste. Besides,
Carbon sequestration its addition accelerates cement hydration and restricts shrinkage cracking in cement mortar. The present
Concrete review categorizes all the biochar critical features affecting the performance of cementitious materials.
Filler The effect of biochar addition as filler and cement replacement on the workability, hydration, mechanical
Cement replacement and transfer properties of cement paste/composites is reviewed in this paper. From the data collection, an
optimum biochar content around 2% is shown to contribute to the improvement of mechanical proper-
ties. The gaps in the literature are identified and the future research plans are proposed.
Ó 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Biochar background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3. Biochar features affecting cementitious materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1. Chemical composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.2. Physical and morphological properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.3. Water retain capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.4. Thermal conductivity and flammability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.5. Chemical stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.6. Environmental considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (H. Maljaee), [email protected] (H. Paiva), [email protected] (L. Tarelho), [email protected] (V.M. Ferreira).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.122757
0950-0618/Ó 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
H. Maljaee, R. Madadi, H. Paiva et al. Construction and Building Materials 283 (2021) 122757
4. Biochar as an additive in cementitious materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

4.1. Fresh properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.2. Transfer properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.3. Cement hydration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.4. Mechanical properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5. Incorporation of biochar with other additives in cement composites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
6. Activated biochar in cementitious materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7. Conclusions and future research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Declaration of Competing Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Acknowledgement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1. Introduction dependent to the conditions of biochar production. Factors such

as pyrolysis temperature range, pressure, heating rate and resi-
Recently the governments have established principles for the dence time affect the pyrolysis products’ yield as well as their
use of sustainable materials in order to conserve natural resources physicochemical and microstructural properties [22]. In addition
and encourage the use of waste/recycled materials in construction to the operating conditions, variation of physicochemical proper-
sector. Construction and industrial actions are the foremost ties of biochar including surface area, cation exchange capacity,
sources of CO2 emission in the globe. To mitigate this issue, several water-holding capacity, size of pores and their distribution can
solutions have been suggested in the literature such as addition of be governed by the type of the selected biomass feedstock. Among
biomass and waste materials [1–3], ashes [4,5] to replace cement the pyrolysis types in terms of heating rate, slow pyrolysis (which
products and development of alkali-activated materials [6,7] to is usually performed over several hours) is normally associated
get rid of Portland cement in concrete and mortars. Cost-effective with higher yield of biochar and low flammability of produced char
sustainable solutions can be limited to the use of bio-based mate- compared with fast and flash pyrolysis (which are typically per-
rials (as raw or ash) into the main composition of mortar or con- formed over seconds) [23]. The processing temperature affects
crete. Many studies have raised concerns on the defective effect inversely the yield of biochar. In opposite, the carbon content of
of biomass on the durability of cementitious materials through biochar can be changed from 56% to 93% when the pyrolysis tem-
degradation of biomass due to the alkaline nature of cementitious perature raised from 300 and 800 ℃ [24]. Ash content of biochar is
materials [8]. Another drawback of the biomass application in more dependent to the type of feedstock rather than pyrolysis tem-
cement composites is the retardation of cement hydration due to perature, in contrast with the volatile matters and carbon fixed
the presence of hemicellulose in biomass as source of sugars content which are significantly influenced by the temperature of
including glucose and fructose [9]. In elsewhere, high organic con- pyrolysis [25]. Ash content is a factor that is usually treated as inert
tent and impurities of rice husk ash also have been recognized as and it may not take place in the degradation of biomass [26]. High
unfavourable factors in mortar [10]. Biochar is unique among ash content in the biomass avoids the formation of aromatic car-
bio-renewable resource technologies in that it provides the poten- bon and declines stability of biochar. Furthermore, high mineral
tial to address all the aforementioned problems at once. Biochar content which imparts high ash content, decreases the porosity
has been used to develop building materials such as natural inor- of biochar due to the blockage of micropores [27].
ganic clay composites [11], red clay binder [12], bituminous mate- Biochar is a highly porous material with high specific surface
rial [13,14] and most recently in geopolymers [15,16]. By adding area. Fast pyrolysis induces higher surface area in comparison with
biochar to construction materials, carbon can be stored and locked the slow pyrolysis. The macropore structure and morphology of
into the structure for decades and help in keeping the global car- biochar inherits its architecture from the derived feedstock and is
bon cycles in balance, thanks to carbon sequestration nature of bio- taken into account as a key parameter in the adsorption capacity
char. Indeed, biochar is capable of reducing 870 kg CO2-equivalent of biochar. Pores in biochar are created due to the release of vola-
of greenhouse gas (GHG) per ton of dry feedstock [17,18]. Other tiles and organic matters during pyrolysis. The more the volatiles
benefits of biochar compared to other bio-based by-products, is released the more and larger the pores created in the biochar
in its production process (pyrolysis) which has the potential for [28]. Biochar’s pore network is composed of pores with different
elimination of hemicellulose and lowering polysaccharides [19]. size ranges from macropores with diameters 50 nm and meso-
Pyrolysis of wastes is a technique to avoid the emission associated pores with diameters between 2 nm and 50 nm to micropores with
with incineration process and avoid at the same time landfills due diameters < 2 nm [29]. Elsewhere, the size of micropores, meso-
to waste disposal [20]. Recent study has revealed that only 1% bio- pores and macropores are defined as 0.0001–0.001 mm, 0.001–0.1
char gives the same effectiveness corresponding to 2.5% graphene 0 mm and > 0.1 mm, respectively [30]. Generally, increasing pyroly-
nano-platelet (GNP) and 3.6% nano silica [21]. sis temperature up to a certain point leads to an alteration of pore
This paper reviews the critical results of the recent researches structure towards increasing pores, compact structure, integrity,
focused on the application of biochar in cement mortar and con- orderliness and developed porosity [31]. An inclined number of
crete. The physical and chemical properties of biochar affecting micropores and thus an ordered structure in the biochar due to
the performance of cementitious materials are classified and the increase of temperature has been reported by Claoston et al.
reviewed. [32]. Antal and Grønli [33] also observed a high fraction of micro-
pores formed in the biochar produced at low temperature (300 ℃)
but at high residence time and low heating rate (10 ℃/min). This
2. Biochar background can explained by the smooth release of volatiles and organics
[33]. Fig. 1 presents the SEM images of biochars from different
Biochar is a stable carbon-rich solid produced via pyrolysis sources. Increase of macro-porosity in biochar produced at higher
whose production enters less CO2 to the atmosphere in contrary temperatures is obvious in Fig. 1 (the bottom images) [34]. It can
to other incineration techniques. Quality of biochars is highly be observed that the increasing temperature caused formation of
2
Fig. 1. Changes in biochar structure with temperature. From top to bottom: biochar from date palm [35], biochar from beech wood [36], biochar from hardwood and
softwood [34].
deep channels and pores in date palm biochar [35]. However, resistant to hydrolysis, hemicellulose has a more random and
intensified degree of carbonation of biochar at 700 ℃ leads to the amorphous structure. Decomposition of hemicellulose occurs at
destruction of porous structure of biochar [35] (Fig. 1). Almost lower temperatures than that of cellulose. Once the biomass sub-
the same observation has been reported by Guizani et al. [36]. jected to the pyrolysis, a drying phase occurs up to 100 °C in which
Gupta et al. [37] observed honeycomb-like pore structures on the free moisture in the biomass and the water weakly bound to
the surface of biochar from food waste, rice waste and saw dust, the biomass is released and then the biomass undergoes an
attributing to the release of volatiles from the feedstock and/or exothermic dehydration between 100 and 300 °C. This can allow
received from the biological capillary structure of biomass. Wood the water and low molecular weight gases, such as CO and CO2,
saw dust biochar prepared at 500 ℃ showed higher number of clo- to evaporate [44]. Decomposition of hemicellulose and cellulose
sely spaced pores with higher uniformity in shape compared to the is known to be occurred thereafter between 250 °C and 500 °C
biochar prepared at 300 ℃ [37]. This can be attributed to more [26]. Somewhere else in the literature, decomposition of hemicel-
complete release of volatiles from wood biomass at higher pyroly- lulose and cellulose occurred between 171 and 306 ℃ and 306–
sis temperatures but still up to a certain point [38]. Increment of 417 ℃, respectively [19,45,46]. Biochars may contain more cellu-
pyrolysis temperature can lead to the formation of honeycomb lose than the raw feedstock due to the decomposition of hemicel-
particles with cylindrical grooves connected to one another [34]. lulose prior to cellulose [47].
Biochars are recognized as hydrophilic materials due to the for- Lignin is a complex organic polymer mainly derived from
mation of hydrogen bonds between water molecules and mole- hydroxycinnamyl alcohol monomers with different degree of
cules having OH groups on their surface [39]. The effect of pore methoxylation. Phenol and phenoxy species are the main products
size on the water adsorption capacity has been studied fairly in of lignin decomposition. Larger residue of phenol and phenoxy is
the literature. Micro-pores and pyrogenic nano-pores can provide expected in softwoods due to a great amount of carbon and lignin
a site for the adsorption of aqueous solutions [40]. Also biochars content. At lower pyrolysis temperatures, levoglucosane is the
with macro-pores of size between 5 lm to 30 lm have been most abundant volatile species in softwood and hardwood bio-
known as the most active particles in absorption and retention of masses due to the large cellulose content [26]. Thermal stability
moisture [41]. Similarly, Lehmann [42] suggested that biochar with of lignin is higher than cellulose and hemicellulose, and its decom-
pore sizes lower than 30 mm is the most efficient in holding water. position takes place at slower pace. This phenomenon together
Shafie et al. [41] reported high tendency of water adsorption in the with decomposition of cellulose and degradation of heavier vola-
biochars with pore diameter of 5–6 mm. tiles eventually lead to the cracking of C–C bonds at temperatures
Pyrolysis leads to the decomposition of biomass in several between 420 and 900 ℃ [48]. Since decomposition of lignin starts
stages depending on the chemical composition and structure of from 200 ℃ and continues up to 800–900 ℃, it is considered as a
raw feedstock. Most of biomasses are mainly composed of cellu- major source of char in the pyrolysis process [44]. Rodier, et al.
lose, hemicellulose and lignin. The proportion of hemicellulose, [19] observed a drop of lignin and polysaccharides by 65% and
cellulose and lignin in the biomass determines the amount of sta- 90% (based on FTIR signal intensity), respectively after pyrolysis
bilized carbon in the biochar [43]. Cellulose is a regular polymer of of sugarcane bagasse at 200 ℃.
glucosidic monomers (C6H10O5)n, while, hemicellulose chemical In a study conducted by Gupta et al. [49], decomposition of
structure is approximated to a xylose polymer (C5H8O4)n. Real hemicellulose and cellulose occurred between 220 and 280 ℃
hemicellulose is a matrix of different polysaccharides and contains and 280–400 ℃. They reported that the pyrolysis of saw dust at
mannuronic and galacturonic acids. Typical monomers are glucose, 500 ℃ leads to elimination of labile groups and the primary sources
xylose, mannose, galactose, rhamnose and arabinose. Hemicellu- of sugars, ensuring chemical stability of biochar in the cement
lose is easily devolatilized or hydrolyzed by a dilute acid or base. composition. In another study, Parihar et al. [50] also reached the
Compared with cellulose that is mostly crystalline, strong and same conclusion in which both softwood and hardwood biochars
3
produced at 500 ℃, showed no alcohol, phenol and methylene and Si can be found. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 present the elemental and
groups in their structures. It is noteworthy that these groups are oxide composition in wide variety of biomasses, respectively.
detrimental to the chemical and physical properties and stability Volatilization of each species during pyrolysis depends on bio-
of cementitious materials. mass properties, heating rate and temperature. In a study [55], a
minimal volatilization of (Mg, Na, K and Cl) has been reported dur-
ing slow pyrolysis of sugar cane bagasse. Following the enhance-
3. Biochar features affecting cementitious materials ment of ash content due to elevated pyrolysis temperature, the
mineral salts including Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, S and Si can be found in
3.1. Chemical composition abundance in the ash fraction in an oxide form [34,56]. Fast pyrol-
ysis of bagasse leads to volatilization of 80% of magnesium at
Biochars mainly comprise carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen (in total 900 ℃ [55]. Potassium and sodium normally exist in the form of
above 95%), inorganic elements and small traces of heavy metals soluble salts in the biomass. Organic potassium can be released
which all are varied in content depending on the type of the feed- into gaseous phase at temperatures less than 500 ℃ due to its ther-
stock and pyrolysis conditions. Biochars derived from peanut and mal instability, while inorganic potassium tends to volatilized
hazelnut shells contain a limited amount of amorphous carbon or above 500 ℃ due to the increase in steam pressure [57]. There is
of defective graphite crystals [51]. Biochar with lower content of a chance for the formation of insoluble residues through reaction
carbon possesses a higher density. Lower carbon in the composi- of potassium ion steam with silicate based substances during the
tion of biochar can lead to addition of higher dosage of biochar pyrolysis of biomass [58]. Likewise, some insoluble sodium in the
to the mortar in comparison with other types of biochars contain- biomass is very stable and known as external impurity that does
ing more carbon [37]. This can be explained by the fact that the not participate in pyrolysis process. Unlike potassium and sodium,
higher amount of biochar is demanded to reach the sufficient possibly all calcium cannot be volatized during the pyrolysis and
toughness in the mortar mix, since the hardness and toughness remained as a solid residue after pyrolysis due to high stability.
of biochar are augmented with elemental carbon content in the Potassium and calcium are the elements that can exist in higher
biochar [52]. In contrast with carbon, the content of nitrogen in dosages in herbaceous and woody biomass, respectively [58]. Res-
biochar decreased with pyrolysis temperature. Biochars from soft- tuccia and Ferro [59] believed that the coffee powder biochars with
wood exhibited high levels of nitrogen compared to the other bio- high content of potassium are able to interact with cement parti-
masses especially the ones produced at low temperatures [34]. cles during hydration process through a potassium salt reaction
Inorganic content of biochar depends highly on the composition (acting as alkali activating element) and speed the hydration pro-
of raw biomass. Inorganic elements in biomass include potassium cess and evolution of mechanical properties of cementitious com-
(K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), phosphorous (P), posites. Chlorine, on the other hand, is a highly volatile element
silicon (Si), sulfur (S), aluminum (Al) and chloride (Cl). In compar- that is completely transformed into the gaseous phase during
ison with grass biomasses, woody biomasses contain less ash, Cl, K, pyrolysis. With the detailed information provided in Fig. 2 and
N, S, and Si, but more Ca [53]. Higher contents of Al and Si can be Fig. 3 one can decide on a proper pre-treatment of biomass and
found in bark in comparison with wood. In the chemical composi- the subsequent pyrolysis conditions before proceeding with bio-
tion of straws and grasses, relatively high contents of Cl, K, Na, S char production. For example, the content of sodium is recom-
Fig. 2. Concentration of K, Ca, P and Fe in different biomasses (from [54]) WWB: wood & woody mass, EC: Energy crops, AB: Agricultural biomass, FR: Forest residue, AFIW:
Agri-food industry wastes.
4
Fig. 3. Oxide composition in the biomass ash (from [53]).
mended to be limited in the composition of biomass to prevent zolanic activity in the early stages of strength development with
uncontrolled deposit formation in the pyrolysis boiler [53]. In case pore structure refinement [63].
of stable inorganic salts in the biomass, some pre-treatment meth- Enrichment of inorganic content after pyrolysis of biomass and
ods are suggested in the literature (acid pickling, water washing). its changes with rising production temperature are presented in
For example, potassium and sodium ions can be removed using Table 1. Inorganic contents of biomass are remarkedly increased
hydrochloric and sulfuric acids. However, these techniques cause by converting to the biochar. It can be seen that the concentration
structural defects in the biomass, including partial decomposition of K, Si, P, Ca, Mg is increased with increasing operation tempera-
of hemicellulose and increase of cellulose and lignin content [60]. ture in witchgrass, pine wood, poultry litter and willow [64,65].
Silica also can be found in the composition of some biochars. The intensity of increment of each element depends on the type
Reactive silica has been recognized to have a pozzolanic reaction feedstock.
in cementitious materials but requiring to be in a specific range. In general, the concentration of heavy metals in secondary
Indeed, the pozzolanic active materials in cementitious composites materials added to the cementitious composites should be com-
must meet the criteria of SiO2 + Al2O3 + Fe2O3 > 70% and MgO plied with standards [67]. In the composition of cementitious
should not pass 5%, according to ASTM C618 [61]. Rice husk is char- materials, the content of heavy metal is one of the major parame-
acterized with high level of silica in its composition. However, any ters determining their potential environmental impacts [68]. Selec-
thermal treatment to produce ash or biochar leads to lowering of tion of proper biomass in terms of heavy metal content is a
silica content. Studies show that the rice husk biochar possesses prominent action towards biochar application in cementitious
less silica and pozzolanic effect than rice husk ash [10]. The silica materials. Feedstocks with low level of heavy metal content will
content in poultry litter biochar has been shown to be noticeable yield a biochar containing less amount of heavy metals [69]. Addi-
[62,63]. Paper and pulp sludge biochar has shown a higher poz- tion of secondary materials such as fly ash, sewage sludge ash and
Table 1
Enrichment of inorganic content after pyrolysis.
Feedstock Pyrolysis Enrichment of inorganic content after pyrolysis[biochar content/biomass content] Ref
T (℃) K Si P Ca Mg Na Al Fe
Switchgrass 450 3.76 3.43 1.98 3.61 2.81 2.03 6.99 7.14 [64]
600 5.47 4.42 2.42 5.06 3.44 1.70 9.06 12.45
800 5.57 5.59 4.08 6.06 4.38 1.80 7.26 9.89
Pine wood 450 3.18 1.09 3.68 3.20 3.33 2.43 3.18 8.42
600 6.38 1.53 6.39 5.74 5.85 4.52 6.38 6.96
800 8.72 1.83 9.98 6.78 8.91 5.61 8.72 6.83
Poultry litter 450 3.4 3.42 [66]
500 3.4 3.44
Willow 450 4.4 5.72
500 5 6.25
Spruse sawdust 425 1.61
Softwood bark 475 2.1 3.08
Corn stover 500 5.28 7.03 6.02 6.19 6.08 4.65 6.5 6.82 [65]
5
slag has been found out not to induce over-limit of leached fraction pyrolysis temperature results in a higher porosity and thus a bio-
despite high content of heavy metal [70,71]. Besides, partial substi- char with a lower density [79].
tution of natural raw materials with the secondary materials does pH of biochar is another indicator of admixtures effect on the
not result in higher contents of heavy metals in cement products. cement hydration and heat evolution such that the addition of
Hohberg and Schiessl [72] have indicated that the addition of fly admixture must not reduce the pH of cement pore solution signif-
ash with high content of heavy metals contribute to very low leach icantly. pH value of biochar produced via pyrolysis may differ from
out content due to immobilization of heavy metals by fly ash in the the one produced through hydrothermal carbonization. The acidic
highly alkaline cement matrix. In this study, smaller emission of functional groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl or formyl groups in
mortar with fly ash was ascribed to the filler effect of fly ash and the biomass are detached during pyrolysis and form a basic nature
to the compaction in the pore network due to pozzolanic reaction, in biochar. On the other hand, with increasing pyrolysis tempera-
which could hinder diffusion of heavy metals such as zinc, copper ture, more ash, which is basic in nature, is remained in the biochar
and lead [72]. and that increases the degree of carbonization [80]. In addition to
In spite of all the findings related to the chemical composition the conversion process type, feedstock and the pyrolysis conditions
of biomass, the effect of each element, as a residue in the biochar, including temperature and residence time affect the pH value of
on the inherent properties of cementitious materials still remain biochar. In the case of slow pyrolysis, which pertains to the pro-
controversial. duction of majority of biochars, that are used as secondary sources
in construction materials, the effect of residence time is not
assessed properly. The biochar produced from softwood materials
3.2. Physical and morphological properties at high temperatures has high concentration of basic cations and
high pH level [34]. The pH of cement solution has been shown to
Properties of biochar such as surface area, pH, porosity, mor- reduce after substitution of 10% cement with marble powder
phology may have a direct impact on the cementitious materials [81]. However, effect of biochar addition on the alkalinity of
features and performance. As is known, a large surface area is con- cementitious materials has not been studied fairly. It has been
nected with some other biochar properties such as cation exchange reported that the biochar introduction in the range of 2–8%
capacity (CEC) and water retention capacity. Although, the surface insignificantly alters alkalinity of the cement mix (drop of about
area itself is not the only parameter explaining the biochar physical 5.5% at the dosage of 8%, but still have a pH > 12), which is signif-
properties. Smaller particle size conveys a higher surface area. icant to ensure hydration and strength development of mortar
Workability and rheology of the cement mixture can be influenced composite [21,82].
by the particle size of the added biochar and this effect can be
intensified by coarser particles [49]. Microparticle biochar showed 3.3. Water retain capacity
higher efficiency than nanoparticles due to higher water absorp-
tion tendency, and subsequently reduction of water-cement ratio High amount of carbon and low quantities of impurities make
and higher densification effect. Particles at nanoscale have higher the biochar perfect as a filler in the cementitious composites, as
surface area per unit volume, i.e. more atoms and molecules on no difficulties can be observed in the dispersion into the solution
the surface. This means that a stronger Van der Waals force and of water and superplasticizer and the particles are very resistant
electrostatic force can be formed between atoms and between compared to the cement matrix [59]. This factor can affect the
the nanoparticles, respectively, causing their re-agglomeration. workability of concrete, as the biochar’s demand of water
This phenomenon is known to be deleterious in the structure of increases. This has been also indicated by Choi et al. [24] stating
cement based composites [59,73]. Biochars with macropores may that the high carbon content of fly ash influences the air entraining
affect the transport properties of cementitious composites. A high and water gain into the mixture. The water absorption and reten-
surface area-to-volume ratio of carbon microparticles results in an tion properties of biochar are the top features offered to the mortar
increase of the contact area between the particles and the sur- to resist moisture evaporation and shrinkage. Water retain capac-
rounding cementitious matrix, that consequently causes a better ity of biochar is an important parameter determining the moisture
adhesion of biochar particles to the cement matrix [74]. transfer properties of cement mortar. Despite the fact that the bio-
Shape of the biochar particles can also have considerable effects char produced at high temperatures losses its hydrophilicity as a
on the intrinsic properties of mortar. Angular-shaped biochar par- result of less polar functional groups, the effect of increase of
ticles tend to restrain the movement of cement paste and the par- porosity at higher temperatures governs its high level of water
ticles and induce a reduction of spread diameter during flow table holding capacity [79]. Water retention capacity of biochar depends
test (slump). Biochars are characterized with the roughness in their on several factors such as morphology, porosity, pore size and
appearance which promote the adhesion between biochar and interconnection between the pores [82]. Biochar produced at low
cement paste. Fibrillar biochars may have a capability to make a temperature is characterized with smaller pore size and less inter-
bridge between micropores over the Interfacial Transition Zone connection between the pores, thus it may hinder the water
(ITZ) and hydration products and contribute to stress redistribu- absorption process [83].
tion [37]. Thus, brittle failure is expected to be avoided [20]. ITZ Biochar tends to physically bind to the cations existing in the
is a zone between aggregates and cement paste matrix, which nor- solution due to the high CEC in the carbonaceous structure of bio-
mally has a thickness around 10 to 40 mm in plain mortars [75]. char [84]. This feature forces the biochar to rapidly absorb a part of
Excessive milling and grinding the biochar particles give them mixing water through hydrogen bonding during mixing, leading to
angular shapes being more favorable for aggregate bridging [76]. the drop of the mix fluidity [37]. Furthermore, the mix fluidity of
This particular feature can govern the cracks to pass through the the cement matrix can be significantly influenced by the pore size
angular aggregates which are not bonded to the matrix following distribution of biochar. Presence of pores (less than 30 mm)
a flat fracture path [77]. increases water holding capacity of biochar while reducing the flu-
Density is a physical property of biochar that significantly idity of the mix [41,85]. For the same reason, grinding biochar par-
affects the fresh and hardened properties of cement composites. ticles may improve the absorption process in the mortar mixes
Normally, biochar possesses a lower density than ordinary Port- when it is ground to a very fine form due to the changes in the pore
land cement particles, being about one third of it [78]. Density of size of the biochar and thus the underlying alterations in the trans-
material is inversely connected to its porosity. Increasing the port properties of the concrete [24]. In general, grinding the bio-
6
char particles down is associated with the reduction of average of H:C and O:C ratios imply a high fraction of stable carbon
pore size, higher surface area and larger micropore volume, which together with a lower number of reactive groups in the structure
eventually contributes to increasing the water retention capacity of biochar. Thus, a higher resistance of biochar to the mineraliza-
[49,86]. The biochar addition to the cementitious matrix must be tion and chemical and biological degradation is expected [97]. This
controlled carefully since its higher dosage can lead to a drastic can be due to the reduction of swelling tendency of biochar
reduction of free water and subsequently mortar fluidity, and this through elimination of cellulose components, especially hemicel-
increases the demand of superplasticizer. Although, the higher lulose, which show susceptibility to moisture absorption and
amount of superplasticizer can cause a retarded hydration and biodegradation [49,98]. Therefore, decomposition of cellulosic
reduce the early age strength. Furthermore, porosity of cementi- matters in biochar and stability of micro-fillers can assure the
tious matrix can be increased with increasing the water-cement long-term durability of cementitious composites [82]. This feature
ratio [87]. of biochar may also avoid changes in properties of cement compos-
ites that may encounter severe conditions such as carbonation,
3.4. Thermal conductivity and flammability alkali–silica and chloride reactions during their life-time.
O:C ratio is normally decreased with increasing pyrolysis tem-
The thermal conductivity is the ability of a material to conduct perature since more carbon persist at high temperatures. This is
heat, i.e. the transport of heat through the material as the result of also directly linked to the volatile matters released at high temper-
a temperature gradient. The porous structure of biochar offers a atures [97,99]. Reduction of H:C (degree of aromaticity) and O:C
lower thermal conductivity compared to its parent biomass. A con- (polarity) ratios with growing pyrolysis temperature can be also
siderable decrease of about 60–80% has been registered in the ther- due to the dehydration and decarboxylation reactions and removal
mal conductivity of biomass after pyrolysis process [88]. Unlike to of functional groups containing O and H, from the original biomass
biomass, the biochar at higher temperatures have almost a similar which intrinsically has low aromaticity [100–102]. Biochars with
thermal conductivity in different directions [88]. Thanks to a rela- O:C ratio of less than 0.20 tend to have high stability and is esti-
tively low thermal conductivity of biochar, it can also have a pos- mated to have a half-life of up to 1000 years [97]. In a recent report
itive impact on the insulating properties of building components. [37], biochars produced from sawdust, food waste and rice waste
Increased porosity of concrete due to biochar inclusion (with a with O:C of 0.12, 0.09, and 0.15 respectively, showed high chemical
wide range of mesopores, micropores and nanopores) is another stability in cement composites. In a study conducted by Rehrah
reason for such an observation [89]. et al. [34] under the same pyrolysis conditions (750 ℃ and 6 h res-
A significant reduction of thermal conductivity is reported in idence time), biochars from hard materials (sawdust), soft materi-
the cement pastes containing sugarcane bagasse biochar [19]. als (grass, tree leaves) and paper materials showed a O:C ration of
45% and 30% drop of thermal conductivity were observed in the 0.02, 0.97 and 0.71, respectively.
6% biochar-cement composites cured for 28 and 90 days,
respectively [19]. In another study, the largest reduction in
thermal conductivity was observed in the samples with 1 and 2% 3.6. Environmental considerations
biochar by weight, registering 0.208 to 0.230 W/(mK), and
0.192–0.197 W/(mK), respectively, comparing with 0.62 to Selection of a bio-based secondary material for incorporating in
3.3 W/(mK) for a standard concrete [90]. Lower thermal conduc- the cementitious materials should be made based on the environ-
tivity can be caused by the burning out of organic matter in biochar mental considerations other than mechanical and physical
added as supplementary materials to the cementitious composites improvements. Production of biochar has been shown to have a
[91]. In fact, the pores in biochar tend to break the thermal bridg- negative net CO2 emission and GWP (Global Warming Potential).
ing within the cementitious composites and this can be associated Pyrolysis process shows preferences to incineration (for produc-
with lowering of thermal conductivity and improvement of insulation of ashes), due to a reduction of emissions such as methane,
tion of buildings [92]. CO, NOx and SOx [20]. In the literature, it has been believed that
Flammability of biochar is a significant factor affecting the fire the carbon content in biochar has a significant impact on the car-
safety of building materials. Biochar has been recognized as a non- bon sequestration capacity of biochar [103]. The negative GHG
flammable substance in a study carried out by Zhao et al. [23]. High emission of different types of biochar have been determined as
pyrolysis heating rate, short residence time and biomass impurities 0.90, 0.864 and 0.885 CO2 eq./kg in Barley straw biochar
promotes carbon-free formation. In fact, carbon-free radicals tend [104], corn stove biochar and yard waste biochar [17], respectively.
to bond to the oxygen via chemisorption and thus promote In the production of cementitious materials, the environmental
flammability [23]. In the same study, a biochar produced via slow impacts are evaluated based on the net CO2 emissions associated
pyrolysis showed no combustion front propagation. More short- with the raw materials application and the carbonation process.
term flammability was observed at high temperature biochars (at A part of the CO2 released during the cement production is
450 °C) [23]. Pyrolysis adds a credit to the raw biomass with absorbed by cement composites (mortar and concrete) through
release of volatile matters and formation of pores ranging from carbonation during their lifetime, which leads to the permanent
macropores to nanopores. As a result of reduced volatile propor- fixation of CO2 in the form of stable calcium carbonate [105]. Incor-
tions, biochar can be associated with lower flammability [23]. poration of biochar in the cementitious materials also can lead to
Addition of biochar improves fire resistance of cementitious com- the offset of CO2 emissions. In the mortars with the same amount
posite through retaining higher strength and water tightness at of water and cement, it has been shown that the addition of bio-
elevated temperatures [93]. char reduces the net emission of greenhouse gases (up to 15%)
and air pollutants associated with mortar production [20,106]. In
3.5. Chemical stability the study conducted by Roy et al. [78], for every 1% increase by vol-
ume of biochar, there was a 2.2% reduction of cement by weight,
The ratio of hydrogen to organic carbon (H:C) and oxygen to thanks to the low density of biochar (approximately one third of
organic carbon (O:C) determine the degree of aromaticity and mat- cement). Therefore, at the real scale applications, the CO2 emission
uration of biochar and can be linked to its long-term chemical sta- is expected to be reduced by 880 Mt per year by replacing only 10%
bility [94–96]. Chemical stability is a striking feature that makes of biochar on volumetric basis. In other words, the total worldwide
the biochar as an efficient additive in cement mortar. Lower values GHG emissions level could reduce by 1.1% [78].
7
Fig. 4. A detailed map describing factors influencing biochar and cement composite properties. I: biomass factors, II: pyrolysis production, III: biochar properties and VI:
cement composite properties. Red lines are presenting inverse effects. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web
version of this article.)
An improved leaching behavior is also a result of addition of cement to be replaced by biochar particles. The authors believed
biochar to the cement composite due to increment of the porosity that the loss of ignition (LOI) level in the added biochar determines
of cement matrix. In a study carried out by Zalina et al. [107], the the amount of biochar to obtain the desired workability. Fresh den-
leaching behavior of Cesium-134 (in distilled water) from the sity of mortar is also reported to decrease with increasing biochar
cement-biochar matrix was investigated. The lowest leachability content due to low density and highly porous texture of biochar
of Cs-134 was found at 11% biochar addition [107]. particles. However, the air content of fresh mortar is observed to
Fig. 4 shows the detailed map of the influencing factors from the increase with increase of biochar addition content [20,37].
biomass selection to the incorporation in cement mixes. Effect of biochar inclusion on the rheological properties of
cement mortar has been studied more rarely. Gupta et al. [49]
investigated the early-age characteristics of biochar-cement com-
4. Biochar as an additive in cementitious materials posites in their recent research. The authors determined yield
stress and plastic viscosity of mortar at different times after mixing
4.1. Fresh properties water. The results showed that the incorporation of ground biochar
(denoted as GBC with particle size between 0.1 and 2 mm) facili-
Gupta et al. [21] found out that 8% of biochar addition to the tated placement of cement paste into the formwork due to a lower
cement mortar can result in a drop of 22% in the flow rate (work- viscosity compared with the plain mortar and mortars with coarser
ability). In this study, it was proven that the addition of biochar biochar particles (denoted as NBC with particle size 2–100 mm)
(>2%) which is produced at high temperatures gives a stiffer mortar [49]. Yield stress of cement mix was influenced by the particle size
mix [21]. In order to maintain workability of cementitious mate- of biochar, having lower value for the mixes with finer biochar
rial, the required water should be increased with increasing bio- grains [49].
char content [90]. In order to provide free water, the water to
cement ratio should be increased from 0.4 to 0.48 when 1.5 gr of
biochar is added to 10 gr of cement in the concrete composition, 4.2. Transfer properties
as Cuthbertson et al. observed in their study [90]. Biochar addition
can result in an increase of superplasticizer content in the compo- Water absorption plays a key role in durability and long-term
sition of cementitious material. There is an inverse relationship performance of cementitious materials. Many investigations can
between flow and the content of superplasticizer due to increase be found in the literature concerning effect of biochar addition
of biochar dosage [37]. Addition of 1 wt% biochar derived from either as a filler or cement substitution, on the sorptivity of cement
mixed wood and food wastes had a negligible effect on the flow composites. Water absorption via capillary increases following the
table spread diameter at the same dosage of superplasticizer with enhancement of void fraction within mortar. Increasing capillary
plain mortar. At 5% addition, the dosage of superplasticizer to absorption imparts deterioration of mortar/concrete structure
maintain flow increased by 26% and 14% for mortar with mixed [108] and/or growth of germs in the indoor environment [21].
wood and food waste biochars respectively [37]. Higher reduction The effect of incorporation of biochar produced at different tem-
in flowability of mortar can be described by the water absorption peratures on the capillary absorption and penetration depth of
capacity of added biochar which tends to maintain higher amounts mortar has been studied in [21]. In this study, addition of 1% of bio-
of free water in its porous structure. Biochar addition also results in char (by cement mass as a filler) produced at 300 and 500 ℃
a reduction of initial and final setting as a consequence of filler induced a significant drop of 68% and 41% in the water absorption
effect and reduction of free water by biochar particles [20]. compared to the plain reference mortar. The difference is attribu-
In terms of biochar addition as a cement replacement, its ted to a higher hydrophilic nature of biochar produced at 300 ℃,
dosage should be limited to a specific value in order to retain the hindering the formation of capillary pores due to absorption [21].
workability of the material. Choi el al. [24] reached out 5% of A similar trend was also observed in the depth of water penetra-
8
tion. 65% and 61% reduction of penetration depth were the conse- [118], addition of 2% biochar delayed the onset of relative humidity
quence of incorporation of 1% biochar produced at 300 ℃ and reduction (second stage) by 20 h compared to plain cement paste.
500 ℃, respectively [21]. Although the results of this study showed The weight loss due to the moisture evaporation in the mortars
an improved water penetration performance in the mortars with containing biochar is less than the conventional mixes which
5% biochar addition, the same dosage of biochar resulted in a implies a better water retention capacity of biochar [24]. Thus,
higher capillary water absorption. The authors justified this obser- reduction of the plastic and drying shrinkage can be a significant
vation with the presence of dead-ended voids in the mortar and result of biochar addition [24]. In another study, it is said that
biochar particles that may form a discontinuous network within the biochar particles may not have positive effect on the shrinkage
mortar that prevents penetration of water [21]. Resistance to the of hardened paste [21]. In this investigation, biochar-added mor-
external fluid penetration into the mortar mix is a key issue in tars showed a higher drying shrinkage at the early stage between
the improvement of the material durability. age of 1–4 days, irrespective of biochar dosage [21]. Nevertheless,
Biochar addition at low dosages (0.1–0.5%) mitigated the high at the age of 56 days, mortars containing only 1% biochar caused
water absorption capacity of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) lower shrinkage compared with plain mortar [21]. In the study of
which possesses high porosity [108]. In another study, penetration Chen and Poon [119], the key impact of pore size of the added
depth of mortar was reduced by 52% and 60% when dry and satu- ash on the drying shrinkage of mortar has been revealed. The
rated biochar added to the cementitious matrix, respectively cured authors noted that the increase of mesopores in sewage sludge
under moist conditions [85]. These observations have been also ash (<0.025 mm) was the reason for greater drying shrinkage of
confirmed in [37], where biochar from food wastes, mixed wood mortar mix in comparison with the mortar containing pulverized
and rice wastes were used in the composition of cement mortar. fly ash. Carbonation can be also the reason of shrinkage in cemen-
A lower drying rate of cement mortar with dry biochar was titious material, having the same mechanism with drying shrink-
reported in [24], while Gupta et al. [85] observed a different trend age [120]. Although, the effect of biochar on the carbonation
with no change in the drying rate. In terms of cement replacement, process of cement paste has not been studied yet. The role of bio-
water absorption of concrete samples has been shown to decrease char in producing inner carbonation will be discussed in section 5.
with substituting 0.25% and 0.5% of cement with poultry litter bio-
char and paper & pulp sludge biochar, respectively [63]. 4.3. Cement hydration
Furthermore, moisture content and internal relative humidity
(IRH) in the cement composites are critical parameters for most Hydration is the vital mechanism of microstructural develop-
of degradation processes, such as shrinkage and cracking, which ment of cementitious materials. Hydration products include non-
cementitious material may suffer during their lifetime [109,110]. crystalline hydrated phases such as C-S-H gel, hydrated crystalline
Internal relative humidity is the key factor while considering effec- phases such as calcium hydroxide (CH), and non-hydrated crys-
tiveness of internal curing. Internal moisture content of cementi- talline phases, with different chemistry, microstructure and size-
tious matrix guarantees the cement hydration specially when no scale. While CH is formed in the pores which are filled with water,
external water is available. IRH of cement mortars can be influ- C-S-H deposits around cement grains and it is responsible for bind-
enced by the moisture diffusion and self-desiccation during hydra- ing mortar components to form a rigid system. Individual non-
tion [111]. The drying process in cementitious materials is hydrated particles in calcium silicate clinkers are normally
characterized in two main phases [112–114]. The dominant mech- retained in almost every cement paste [121]. Nonetheless, cement
anisms to drive the moisture transfer within the material are diffu- grains with finer size have an ability to quickly hydrate completely
sion of water vapor in the first stage having 100% RH, and capillary [122]. For this reason, the degree of hydration and reaction kinetics
action of liquid water in the second stage, which is accompanied of cement paste can be improved due to introduction of a micro-
with the RH reduction [115,116]. Biochar addition to the mortar filler to the cement composite [123]. Fine biochar particles can play
is associated with the reduction of water evaporation from the a significant role in the generation of more hydration products at
mortar mixes and ensures the retention of moisture content in early stage and induces a faster setting and percolation of solid net-
the mortar during its early ages. Therefore, biochar can play the work. For instance, a higher level of calcium hydroxide (CH) has
role of a self-curing agent in the composition of mortar [24]. El- been reported in the mortars containing fine biochar particles
Diab [117] observed that a concrete with a self-curing agent suf- [37]. Studies have demonstrated that the filler effect of biochar
fered less self-desiccation under sealed cure conditions. The effect can be more dominant than its pozzolanic effect. This means that
of biochar as a water reservoir in the internal curing of mortar was the biochar is capable of producing a compact structure within
explored by measuring internal relative humidity (IRH) of mortars the cement products and have a small contribution towards chem-
containing pre-soaked biochar [85]. While the IRH of mortar with ical enhancement [63]. Filler effect of some biochars such as poul-
saturated biochar was 89.5% and 90.2% (pyrolyzed at 300 ℃ and try litter may cause a formation of denser structure in the early
500 ℃ respectively), the plain reference mortar registered 85.6% stages which in turn, avoids production of C-S-H due to higher vol-
IRH at the same conditions (28 days of curing at 25 ℃ and 60% ume occupation, leading to the slower pozzolanic activity [63].
RH), according to the data measured at a depth of 100 mm from Unlikely, in the same study [63], paper & pulp sludge biochar pro-
the specimen surface [85]. Pre-soaking of biochar before applica- duced a high level of C-S-H band in the concrete composites with
tion in the mortar resulted in a lower drying rate comparing the the least minor peaks in the spectra of the FTIR test representing
plain mortar and its counterpart with dry biochar. In fact, the its higher integration into concrete structure.
amount of free water was reduced by 45% due to the presence of Hydration of cement paste can be significantly influenced by
pre-soaked biochar into the mix. The lower the free water in the addition of biochar. Cement pastes containing 1% mixed wood bio-
mix the lower the evaporation occurred at the time of mixing. In char showed higher cumulative heat of hydration (as indirect mea-
other words, more water is physically retained in the biochar when sure of extent of hydration in cement mixes) than the plain paste
it is used in saturated state, rather than participate in capillary, [49]. In this study, coarser biochar led to slightly higher heat evo-
hence, it is supplied afterwards to the hydration of cement. The lution than grinded biochar.
results also implied that internal curing effect of pre-soaked bio- Gupta et al. [124] observed an increase of 10%, 9.10% and 9% in
char is more effective in attaining higher IRH compared to when the cumulative hydration heat after replacing 5% cement with trea-
additional water was added to the mix. In another investigation ted coconut shell biochar, commercial biochar (from wood
9
obtained from neighbouring Southeast Asian countries) and wood ness of hardened mortar and improved performance of stress
waste biochar, respectively. Furthermore, addition of biochar into transfer under loading [21]. Moreover, in the mixes with lower
the cement paste resulting in an acceleration of hydration and water-to-cement ratio, addition of biochar leads to a stiffer texture
higher rate of hydration heat irrespective of the feedstock type. and affects the compactness of mortar [21]. In a study carried out
In another study, addition of 5% coarse biochar (250–500 mm) from by Gupta and Kua [85], a water saturated biochar was added to the
mixed wood sawdust, as cement replacement, showed 30% higher mortar mix in order not to absorb any part of mixing water during
heat of hydration at the end of 96 h [82]. In this study, substitution initial stage of mortar hardening. In this case, mortar has a rela-
of 2–8% cement with biochar was associated with higher cumula- tively lower effective water-cement ratio which led to a more com-
tive heat than the plain mixes [82]. However, in another experi- pact pore structure and lower connectivity of pore network [85].
ment, addition of 1–2% of biochar derived from rice husk, mixed The optimum biochar content was found to be about 1–2% to
wood showed a comparable heat of hydration after 7 days, with improve the hardened density of cement mortar [21]. The maxi-
the control cement mortar [125]. Reduction of cumulative hydra- mum electromagnetic shielding effectiveness also gained in the
tion heat by 15% was observed in the cement pastes containing cement pastes with 0.5 wt% hazelnut shell biochar [76]. Higher
2% dairy manure biochar [126]. This was attributed to the high biochar dosages may lead to the deterioration of performance of
ash content (84%) which contains relatively high amount of cal- cement composites. A drastic reduction was observed in the hard-
cium, phosphorus and magnesium, and contributes to the retarda- ened density of mortar with 5–8% biochar [21]. The same deleteri-
tion of hydration [126]. In the same study, addition of sorghum ous effect was observed in the ductility of concrete containing over
biochar was also associated with reduction of heat of hydration 10% biochar [90].
and slower hydration reaction in cement paste [126]. Mechanical properties of cementitious composites are domi-
Presence of higher content of cellulose in biochar, on the other nated by ITZ which can be affected by biochar addition [130].
hand, may cause an increase of released heat during hydration in Experimental results showed that the ITZ in the cement compos-
comparison with when raw biomass is used in the cementitious ites containing 1% biochar are less damaged compared to the those
composition. 9% increase against 9% decrease of hydration heat with no biochar. Indeed, the pore formation and damage to the bin-
was observed in the cement pastes containing 2% biochar and bio- der were restricted due to the biochar presence [131]. Increase of
mass (from sugarcane bagasse), respectively [19]. Although, the compressive strength after addition of up to 2% food waste and
degree of hydration in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is wood saw dust biochar has been reported in some studies
essentially low due to the lower free water amount in its composi- [20,21,37,85]. Significant enhancement of compressive strength
tion, it was observed to be improved by adding biochar up to 8% of due to addition of 0.5–0.8% hazelnut shell and coffee powder bio-
cement weight. This effect could be amplified through using finer chars was observed in the study of Restuccia et al. [59]. However,
biochar particles i.e. less than 150 mm [82]. slight reduction of compressive strength at 7- and 28-days age
Curing condition can significantly affect the hydration process after addition of 1 and 2.5% biochar from mixture of woodchips
in biochar-mortar composites. The moist curing conditions showed of local forests (alder, beech, poplar, chestnut, oak and hornbeam)
to neutralize the effect of the biochar addition on the hydration of was observed in the study conducted by Sirico et al. [132]. Addition
mortar matrix since it provides sufficient moisture for hydration of biochar with ground biochar particles showed higher compres-
process regardless of water retainment capacity of biochar [85]. sive strength in comparison with coarser biochar due to packing
However, a 22% increase was observed in the hydration degree of by fine particles [49]. In a study by Ahmad et al. [133], bamboo
air-cured cement mortar due to addition of preconditioned biochar fibres (a cheap and sustainable source for the synthesis of micro-
with water saturation [85]. It implies that less cement remains sized and inert carbonized particles) were pyrolyzed and used as
non-hydrated in the composition of cementitious material because reinforcement particles in cement composites. Their findings show
the presence of biochar offers more free water. In fact, lower path- that a small content of bamboo biochar (0.08%) can enhance com-
ways exist for evaporation of moisture during air curing of cement- pressive strength and toughness of mortar matrix.
biochar mortar [127]. The tensile strength of mortars reinforced with 2% of pyrolyzed
Recent studies [128] showed that the ITZ of biochar particles sugar cane bagasse (at 200 ℃ for 2 h) showed a significant increase
can be superior to that of sand particles. This can be imparted from of about 22% and 135% compared to mortar reinforced with raw
the interlocking mechanisms formed at the face of biochar parti- fibre and plain mortar, respectively [47]. This can be explained
cles pores due to water migration from internal reservoir to the by the results obtained in the tensile tests of untreated and treated
surrounding paste, that in turn leads to the higher hydration prod- fibres which revealed that the pyrolysis of bagasse fibres led to a
ucts and less porous ITZ [128]. ITZ formation greatly is dependent higher tensile strength, by more than a factor of three, compared
to the aggregate properties including absorption and release of to the untreated ones, together with the reduction of content of
water from aggregates, such that, those with high porosity and extractives in the raw fibres [47]. Splitting tensile strength of
high potential to absorb and release water can increase the hydra- cement composite has been also reported to increase due to intro-
tion degree around the aggregate. Thus in presence of biochar, the duction of 2% wood saw dust biochar as a filler [85].
wall effect in the aggregate-cement interface can be reduced, and a Higher density of hazelnut shell biochar led to the higher flex-
uniform and continuous microstructure can be formed in the ural strength of biochar-cement composites in comparison with
biochar-cement composites [129,130]. peanut shell biochar [76]. In a study by Restuccia and Ferro [59],
two biomasses of agro-food wastes including coffee powder and
4.4. Mechanical properties hazelnut shells were pyrolyzed at 800 ℃ and added in the range
of 0.5–1% of cement weight. In their study, higher flexural strength
Mechanical properties of cementitious materials are influenced and fracture energy was achieved at 0.8 and 0.5% addition of hazel-
by the properties of added biochar. The addition of biochar into the nut shell biochar and coffee powder biochar, respectively [59]. In
cement mortar as a filler is associated with more noticeable effects the study of Cosentino et al. [74], higher flexural strength and frac-
on the early strength of mortar irrespective of water-cement ratio. ture energy values were recorded in the specimens with 0.8 and 1%
Normally in the mixes, biochar particles are mostly finer than both biochar derived from softwood biomass at 800 ℃ compared to the
the average size of cement grains and the present macro pores in plain cement specimens. A very small amount of biochar addition
the cement paste. Fine particles play a significant role in blocking (0.08%) to the cement composite showed an increase of 35% and
the macropores within mortar, therefore, resulting in a compact- 45% in flexural strength and fracture energy, respectively [44].
10
Table 2
H. Maljaee, R. Madadi, H. Paiva et al.

Summary of recent studies on biochar-added mortars.
Feedstock Pyrolysis Biochar as Dosage Adopted tests in mortar Curing Main outcomes Ref
conditions condition
Mixture of woodchips 900 ℃ Filler 1%, 2.5% Density, flexural and compressive test, fracture Water-cured Slight reduction of compressive strength with increasing biochar [132]
of local forest energy dosage, increase of flexural strength and fracture energy
Hardwood 500 ℃sp* Cement 5–20% Compressive test, water retention Air- Comparable compressive strength in 5% cement replacement with [24]
repl. curedMoisture- biochar
cured
Poultry litter, rice husk, 450, 500 ℃Resting Cement 0.1–1% Compressive, flexural and splitting tensile Moist curing Effective at early age strength development of concrete [63]
PPI sludge time: 20 min repl. tests, water absorption, FTIR, XRD, SEM
Sugarcane bagasse 200 ℃, spResting Filler 2, 4, 6% Apparent porosity, thermal conductivity, 50%RH Improvement of hydration, reduction of thermal conductivity by [19]
time: 2 h isothermal calorimetry, flexural test 25% due to addition of 4% biochar
Poultry litter 450 ℃ Cement 1, 5, 10% Compressive test, FTIR, water absorption Water-cured Higher water absorption capabilities of biochar composites, [78]
repl. biochar mortar resists shrinkage
Peanut, hazelnut shells 850 ℃, residence Filler 0.025,0.05, Flexural test, fracture energy, electromagnetic Room Increase in electromagnetic radiation shielding [76]
time: 1 h 0.08,0.2, radiation shielding temperature
0.5,1%
Softwood 700 ℃ Filler 0.8, 1% Flexural test, fracture energy Water-cured Promising improvement in strength and toughness of cement [74]
composite
Coffee power, hazelnut 800 ℃, 6 ℃/min Filler 0.5, 0.8, 1% Flexural and compressive tests, fracture energy Water-cured Biochar gives a brittle behavior to the cement composite. Small [59]
shell portion of biochar can lead to substantial increment.
Dried Distillers Grain 500,600 ℃ Sand and 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, Density, compressive test, sound absorption Ambient 10 and 15% of biochar leads to better sound absorption properties, [90]
aggregate 12, 15% test, thermal conductivity condition at 2% biochar addition, thermal conductivity shows the highest
repl. reduction
Rice husk 450 ℃ Cement 0.1–0.75% Compressive and splitting tensile tests, water Fog-cured 17% reduction in water absorption, enhancement of mechanical [108]
repl. absorption, FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDS properties at optimum biochar dosage
Wheat straw 650 ℃, residence MgO + ADP 0.5, 1, 1.5% Compressive and flexural tests, water Room Development of mechanical properties with increasing biochar [141]
time: 4 h repl. absorption, porosity, water resistance, XRD, temperature content
11
SEM-EDS, FTIR
Grey Borgotaro 700 ℃ Filler, 0.8, 1, 1.5, 2, Mechanical tests, fracture energy Water-cured Increase of flexural strength and fractur energy in the optimum [142]
cement repl. 2.5% biochar percentage
Masson pine wood 500, 700 ℃10 ℃/ Filler 1, 2, 5% Isothermal calorimetry, XRD, TGA, SEM-EDS, Air-cured,CO2- Incorporation of biochar as a green additive promotes the [143]
min compressive strength cured generation of hydration products, CO2 curing of newly formed
blocks accelerates cement hydration and carbonation
Wood saw dust 500 ℃ Filler 0.25, 0.5, 1, Rheology, isothermal calorimetry, mechanical Moist-cured, Effect of coarse biochar on the rheology of mortar, reduction in [49]
2% tests, water absorption Air-cured capillary absorption in air-cured condition acceleration of cement
hydration,
Wood saw dust 300, 500 ℃ Filler 1, 2, 5, 8% Mechanical tests, density, porosity, drying Fog-cured Improvement of early age compressive strength, 1% biochar [21]
shrinkage, water absorption, SEM shows comparable drying shrinkage
Wood saw dust 300, 500 ℃ Filler 2% Internal RH,TGA, mechanical tests, water Fog-cured,Air- Higher degree of hydration by adding pre-soaked biochar, [85]
Construction and Building Materials 283 (2021) 122757

sorptivity, SEM cured Improvement of strength and water tightness
Corn stover 550 ℃15℃/min, Filler 2, 4, 6, 8% Compressive test, XRD, FTIR, SEM CO2 curing Increase of CO2 uptake due to the addition of biochar [144]
Residence time:
25 m
Wood saw dust 500 ℃10 ℃/min Cement 2, 5, 8% TGA, isothermal calorimetry, compressive Ambient curing Increase of hydration degree and the heat of hydration due to [82]
repl. biochar addition
Rice husk 500 ℃1 ℃/s Silica fume 40% Rheology, isothermal calorimetry, density, Water-cured at Plastic viscosity and yield stress of cenosphere mortar increased, [145]
repl. compressive test, capillary test 26 ℃ acceleration of cement hydration, 15–20% higher compressive
strength retention by mortar exposed to 450 ℃
Coconut shell 500 ℃10 ℃/min Cement 5% Rheology, isothermal calorimetry, TGA, Biochar with higher permeability and lower pore tortuosity [124]
repl. density, compressive test, capillary test, resulted in a higher reduction in autogenous shrinkage.
shrinkage
Sorghum, manure, 210–600 ℃ Filler 2% Compressive test, isothermal calorimetry, Fog-cured High carbon content of biochar contributes to the strength [126]
cotton stalk, algae density, water absorption development, reduction of capillary absorption, improvement of
long-term strength by32%
Bold percentage represents optimum biochar dosage, * sp: slow pyrolysis.

The fracture energy of the cement pastes increased significantly and enhanced poultry litter biochar showed the highest compres-
after addition of small amount of nano-sized biochar to the cement sive strength having an increment of 17.5% and 3.7%, respectively
paste [76]. An increment of the fracture energy of cementitious in comparison with plain concrete. However, substitution of
paste due to introduction of biochar can be resulted from the more 0.75% cement with biochar led to the highest reduction of com-
tortuous path in the microstructure of biochar, leading to the high pressive strength [108]. An increase of 10% and 6% was also
ability of biochar-cement composites in absorbing energy before observed in the compressive strength of concrete containing 0.1%
breaking [59]. Biochars, in fact, behave as attractors of fracture biochar from paper and pulp mill sludge and rice husk, as a cement
and modify the crack path (from linear pattern in plain mortar to replacement, respectively [63]. 7-day compressive strength of
a tortuous pattern in biochar-cement mortar) that eventually cause cement composite was found to be reduced by 11% and 22% after
a modification of crack trajectory [59]. replacing 4 and 6% of cement with mixed wood biochar, respec-
The effect of biochar mixing procedure on the strength of tively, while cement composite with 6% replacement of food waste
cement paste was assessed in a study by Suarez-Riera et al. biochar showed 10% increase [93].
[134]. In the first set, biochar was firstly added directly to the In terms of flexural strength, enhanced poultry litter and rice
water and superplasticizer mix and then mixed with the dry gradi- husk at 0.75% replacement exhibited an optimum flexural strength
ents and, in the other set, it composed of mixing all the dry parti- [108]. The anhydrous cement in the concrete was modified after
cles of cement and biochar, and then adding to the mix the water inclusion of enhanced poultry litter biochar, leading to the
and superplasticizer. 2% of biochar added in the former state enhancement of the long-term strength of material. In another
improved the flexural strength up to 15%, while its mixture follow- study of the same authors, replacement of cement with biochar
ing the second method, led to a reduction of strength by 8%. from paper and pulp sludge, up to 0.1%, led to the higher flexural
Decrease of elastic modulus of cement composites with biochar strength compared with control specimens [63]. They justified
addition was observed [19]. This feature devotes credits to the the observation by the available flexibility due to biochar presence
building materials when seismic resistance is a critical issue. in the concrete composition, which acts as a link between biochar
Increasing the formation of covalent carbon bonds in biochar due particles and hydrated cement to avoid earlier fracture [63]. Fur-
to increasing pyrolysis temperature is responsible for a rise of elas- ther increase of biochar concentration in the concrete can be asso-
tic modulus and hardness of biochar [135]. The enhancement of ciated with an increased number of unfilled pores which tend to
material toughness with increasing biochar content was also absorb more water and form a less compact structure with lower
observed in the cement composites [19]. Toughness is the ability strength [63]. Besides, macropores in the cross section area play
of material to resist the crack propagation. Indeed, biochar is able a driving role in the flexural strength of concrete [139]. Air voids
to hinder the crack propagation and fracture in cementitious mate- and pores which are formed in the tensile plane due to the extra
rials. The fracture toughness can be increased due to occurrence of biochar addition, would open up during flexural test and result
microcrack shielding and crack deflection in the mortar [136]. The in a reduced energy for crack propagation and flexural load bearing
crack propagation can be controlled by some inhomogeneities such capacity [140]. Splitting tensile strength of biochar-added concrete
as pores, aggregates, fibres and voids by introducing crack devia- at 7 days age was also observed to be enhanced through addition of
tion, branching or multiplication paths. Enhancement of fracture paper and pulp mill sludge biochar and price husk biochar at the
energy is one of the main consequences of such phenomena replacement rate of 0.1, 0.5 and 1% [63]. Table 2 summarizes the
[137]. The particle size and the proper dispersion of the added recent studies on the biochar-added cement mortars.
material determine its effect on the toughness of cementitious The results of compressive and flexural tests of biochar-added
materials [59]. The lower the size of the additive particles the more cement mortar and paste at the age 28 days are collected from
enhanced the fracture toughness of cementitious material [138]. As 14 studies and presented in terms of strength change (%) in Fig. 5
a matter of fact, particles with smaller diameters possess higher and Fig. 6, respectively. The figures also show the correlation
surface area which is directly correlated to the improvement of between biochar production temperature and the changes of
fracture toughness. mechanical strength of cement composites. Based on the Fig. 5
Cement replacement by biochar also affects the mechanical (a-b), it can be suggested to limit the addition of biochar to 2%
properties of cement mortar and concrete. Akhtar and Sarmah and 5%, as filler and cement replacement, respectively when the
[108] examined the effect of addition of biochar from silicon rich improvement of strength is desired. In Fig. 5 (a), 18% of cement
sources (rice husk and enhanced poultry litter) on the properties composites had less than 1% biochar in their composition, in which
of concrete composed of recycled aggregates derived from con- almost all were associated with the strength development (the
struction and demolition wastes. Concrete with only 0.1% rice husk maximum value of 72% registered in the composites containing
Fig. 5. Effect of biochar on the compressive strength (a) biochar as a filler (b) biochar as cement substitution, data derive from [20,21,37,49,59,78,85,132] (biochar as filler)
and [24,63,93,108] (biochar as cement substitution). No data provided for the biochar production temperature in [24] (black dots in (b)).
12
the surrounding mortar [106]. Interestingly, coated PP fiber rein-

forced mortar showed a significant increase of 45% in the peak
pull-out load in comparison with uncoated fiber samples.
Combination of rice husk biochar and industrial rice husk ash
(iRHA) and its effect on the properties of cement mortar have been
investigated [10]. Addition of 8% biochar along with 12% of iRHA to
the cement mix as a partial replacement of cement results in an
improvement of compressive strength (up to 17%) of mortar con-
taining only iRHA. Autogenous shrinkage was mostly eliminated
through combination of rice husk biochar and industrial rice husk
ash during six months of study and the early-age shrinkage crack-
ing was prevented due to the porous nature of biochar releasing
adsorbed water during hydration [10]. The effect of combination
of biochar with other additives on the autogenous shrinkage of
mortar has been also studied in [118]. In this study, weed tree bio-
char produced at 600 ℃ was mixed with MgO expansive additive to
Fig. 6. Effect of biochar on the flexural strength, data derived from
[20,21,37,49,59,74,85,108,132,142]. partially replace cement. A significant reduction of autogenous
shrinkage was achieved via combination of MgO with biochar (only
2%) due to the internal curing capacity of biochar [118].
biochar produced at 800 ℃). 56% of the test samples contain 1–2% Gupta and Kua [93] explored replacement of cement (up to 10%)
biochar, where 77% of that had an improved compressive strength with a blend of silica fume and biochar derived from wood and
comparing to plain cement composite. The rest of data was associ- food wastes. In this study, biochars were produced at 500 ℃ in a
ated with the significant strength reduction in the samples con- muffle furnace. These authors reached the conclusion of using food
taining 5–10% biochar (as filler). Only 18% of biochar-cement waste biochar as an alternative to silica fume at low dosages of
composites (biochar as a cement replacement) exhibited an cement replacement. Nevertheless, addition of wood waste biochar
increase (up to 17% at the lowest addition rate) in the compressive and food waste biochar can lead to a reduction of silica fume by
strength. 60% and 20%, respectively to achieve higher compressive strength.
Fig. 6 shows the effect of biochar addition on the flexural Biochar showed a higher producibility to replace silica fume in the
strength of cement composite. Only one study (out of 10) investi- cement mortar to impart a higher mechanical strength as well.
gated the changes of flexural strength due to the cement replace- Combination of biochar and silica fume resulted in a higher
ment with biochar. Despite a negative effect of cement early-age strength compared to the mortar containing only silica
replacement with biochar on the flexural strength, addition of bio- fume. The optimal blend of silica fume and biochar could improve
char as filler (at lower dosages, i.e. less than 2%) led to the improve- structural efficiency of cement mortar up to 30%. It was observed
ment of strength, with the highest values registered in the samples that cement replacement by combination of biochar and silica
containing biochar produced at higher temperatures. fume, the performance of mortar could be improved when it is sub-
jected to elevate temperature, 500 ℃. The lower loss in weight and
strength was attributed to the mortars with 6% silica fume and 4%
5. Incorporation of biochar with other additives in cement biochar (regardless of feedstock type) [93]. Due to the pozzolanic
composites action of silica fume, more CH can be converted to C-S-H in the
cement mortar. Decomposition of C-S-H gel can occur between
Due to the recent perspective of application of biochar as an 100 ℃ and 400 ℃ [146–148], thus higher weight loss is expected
additive in building materials, some researchers have tried to in the silica fume containing-mortar exposed to 500 ℃ [93]. The
extend its application to cement composites along with other addi- effect of biochar particles on the performance of silica-cement con-
tives. In this section, special attention is given to the review of a crete under higher temperatures has been also studied in [131]. In
few available works relating to the incorporation of biochar in this research, a lower strength loss and higher residual compres-
the cement composites containing other additives, and effect of sive strength were observed in the biochar-added concrete
biochar addition on their durability, mechanical and physical
properties.
A novel mixture of bentonite clay with poultry litter biochar
would compensate, to some extent, for a noticeable reduction of
compressive strength in poultry litter biochar-mortar due to the
interlocking bonding properties of the novel biochar-mortar [78].
In 2017, Gupta et al. [106] used biochar as a coating material on
the polypropylene (PP) fibers to explore the effect of biochar on
the properties of fiber reinforced cementitious composites. Biochar
offered a better mechanical performance to the mortar reinforced
with PP fibers. Compressive and flexural strength of mortars with
coated PP fibers increased by 20% and 19% respectively compared
with mortars reinforced with uncoated PP fibers. Although the PP
fiber reinforced cementitious mortar suffered from the agglomera-
tion and weak bonding at the interface between fibres and matrix,
biochar coating with a better fibre dispersion avoided agglomera-
tion thanks to the hydrophilic nature of biochar. Furthermore, fibre
coating with biochar led to a higher residual strength and better
post-cracking ductility. This was because biochar coating provided Fig. 7. Changes in compressive strength of cement mortar containing biochar
an improved surface toughness of fibres, thus a better adhesion to exposed to elevated temperatures [131].
13
Fig. 8. Microstructure of biochar in cementitious mixture (a) before and (b) after exposure to elevated temperature. Taken from [131] with the permission.
samples exposed to the elevated temperature (the best result significantly increased after substituting 40% of silica fume with
observed in 1% biochar) in comparison to the plain concrete (see rice husk biochar [145]. Acceleration of hydration was also
Fig. 7) and concrete containing 10% silica fume. Additionally, 2% observed in this composite after addition of biochar. Combination
biochar led to an improvement of impermeability by 45% after of cenosphere, silica fume and rice husk biochar with the aim of
exposure to 550 ℃. The reason behind this observation is the mit- cement substitution up to 40%, caused higher dilution and thus
igation of internal thermal damage within concrete due to the accelerated hydration in the first 6 h. Higher packing density of
incorporation of biochar that itself result in a reduced capillary cementitious materials was reported as a result of combination
porosity and movement of water vapor in the concrete mix. Water of biochar and silica fume, leading to acceleration of hydration
penetration depth and capillary adsorption showed a reduction of [145]. Not only in the normal condition, the filler effect of rice husk
37% and 35%, respectively compared to the plain mortar subjected biochar caused a better performance of mortar against elevated
to the elevated temperatures [131]. temperature (450 ℃). Higher compressive strength retention
Fig. 8 clearly illustrates a destructive effect of elevated temper- (15–20%) was observed in the specimens with rice husk biochar
ature on the structure of concrete containing 1% biochar. One can exposed to 450 ℃. Furthermore, rice husk biochar could lead to a
observe that the exposure causes damages to the biochar pore reduced internal damage and porosity of cenosphere mortar during
walls and the attached cement paste, however, the bulk paste thermal damage [145].
around biochar particle remained intact. Biochar pores provide Most recently, application of biochar derived from wheat straw
interconnected space within the concrete to facilitate the move- in magnesium phosphate cement has been explored [141]. In this
ment of induced steam due to the elevated temperature, thus study, biochar was added to the formulated binder containing dead
avoiding damage to the bulk paste [131]. Chemical changes includ- burned magnesium, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate cement
ing desiccation of pore system, partial destruction of C-S-H and (ADP) and fly ash (with the fixed ratio of 3:1:1 stands for MgO:
decomposition of CH occur in cementitious materials during the ADP:FA) to replace MPA (Mg + ADP). Inclusion of 1.5% biochar
exposure to 500–600 ℃. The main consequence is internal and improved mechanical strength of mortar up to 17.3% and 15% in
surface micro-cracking within the matrix [53]. Decomposition of terms of compressive and flexural strength respectively. Biochar
CH can be occurred between 425 and 580 ℃ [148,149]. Reduction addition also affected positively the overall sorptivity and water
of pH can be a result of further decomposition of CH. However, it is absorption of the mix, as well as reduction of microcrack width
not solely contributed to the strength loss in the matrix, while lime [141].
expansion during the cooling period showed the most defective In an investigation conducted by Praneeth et al. [144], the corn
role in internal damage [150]. Besides, decomposition of C-S-H stover biochar-added cement-fly ash composites (3-day age) were
which contributes to the strength evolution in cementitious com- exposed to an accelerated carbonation for 2 h to evaluate the
posites, may cause a significant reduction in the strength and stiff- potential of biochar in carbon dioxide uptake in the cement-fly
ness after exposure to elevated temperature. ash mortars. Two distinct observations were detectable in their
In another study, the effect of addition of pre-soaked biochar experiments, one is a reduction of CO2 uptake with increase of
(from mixed saw dust pyrolyzed at 500 ℃) along with silica fume cement substitution by fly ash and the second is the increase of
as cement replacement in ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) CO2 uptake with the rise of biochar addition up to 4%. Carbonated
has been examined [82]. The effect of biochar particle size on the samples showed higher early age compressive strength compared
hydration and compressive strength was also assessed. Fine bio- to the uncarbonated mortars, with the highest increase in the sam-
char (<125 mm) showed the highest impact having accelerated ples containing 8% and 2% biochar and cement substitution of 20%
hydration peak by 5 h and 9 h at 5% and 8% replacement, respec- and 50% with fly ash, respectively.
tively [82]. Cement replacement by biochar also resulted in an
increased cumulative hydration heat in comparison with control
samples. In terms of compressive strength, unlikely to the samples 6. Activated biochar in cementitious materials
with 8% biochar which showed a significant drop of 30%, the sam-
ples with 5% cement replacement with biochar had a comparable Information relating the effect of using activated biochar on the
strength. properties of cementitious materials is very few and is limited to
Elsewhere, the efficiency of silica fume replacement by rice the CO2 saturation action [20,143]. It has been observed that the
husk biochar, produced at 500 ℃, in cenosphere-based cement slow pyrolysis can strongly impact the efficiency of CO2 adsorption
composite has been evaluated in [145]. The authors suggested that of biochar due to the existence of micropores in their structures,
the combination of biochar, silica fume and cenosphere can be which are responsible for adsorption of gases and solvents
considered as a sustainable lightweight concrete. The plastic [33,151]. Gupta et al. [20] examined the effect of addition of bio-
viscosity and yield stress of mortar with 40% cenosphere has been char that was already saturated with CO2 on the cement mortar
14
performance. Of the impacts of biochar activation with CO2, it can Acknowledgement

be indicated to the longer initial and final setting time compared to
the cement paste with unsaturated biochar, due to the transforma- The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the
tion of Calcium Hydroxide (CH) to CaCO3 through reaction with H2020 EU Research and Innovation programme for the funding
adsorbed carbon dioxide and loss of bond between biochar parti- of the Paperchain project under grant agreement n° 730305.
cles and paste. This inner carbonation results in a lower heat evo- Thanks are due to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and
lution during hydration due to a lower heat for solution of calcium Technology (FCT) / Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher
carbonate than that of calcium hydroxide [152]. This can be also Education (MCTES) for the financial support to CESAM
confirmed from FTIR test results which showed an increase of (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020), through national funds.
88% and 170% in the formation of calcium carbonate compared
with unsaturated biochar-mortar and plain mortar, respectively
[20]. Chemical and physical properties of biochar remained References
unchanged after CO2 saturation. Reduction of compressive and
[1] F. Pacheco-Torgal, S. Jalali, Cementitious building materials reinforced with
flexural strength by 15% and 7% was observed in the mortar sam- vegetable fibres: A review, Constr. Build. Mater. 25 (2011) 575–581, https://
ples with saturated biochar at the age of 28 days compared with doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.07.024.
mortar containing unsaturated biochar. Likely, Wang et al. [143], [2] M.V. Madurwar, R.V. Ralegaonkar, S.A. Mandavgane, Application of agro-
waste for sustainable construction materials: A review, Constr. Build. Mater.
found out that the CO2 curing of biochar prior to addition into 38 (2013) 872–878, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.09.011.
the cement can have an adverse effect on cement hydration and [3] F.C. Jorge, C. Pereira, J.M.F. Ferreira, Wood-cement composites: A review,
strength development. The results revelated an efficient influence Holz. Als. Roh- Und Werkst. 62 (2004) 370–377, https://doi.org/10.1007/
s00107-004-0501-2.
of CO2 curing of newly formed blocks having 1% biochar on the [4] R.N. González-Kunz, P. Pineda, A. Bras, L. Morillas, Plant biomass ashes in
cement hydration and carbonation, following an enhancement of cement-based building materials. Feasibility as eco-efficient structural
bonding strength and densification of microstructure [143]. mortars and grouts, Sustain. Cities Soc. 31 (2017) 151–172, https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.scs.2017.03.001.
[5] Y. Mao, H. Wu, W. Wang, M. Jia, X. Che, Pretreatment of municipal solid waste
incineration fly ash and preparation of solid waste source sulphoaluminate
7. Conclusions and future research cementitious material, J. Hazard. Mater. (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
jhazmat.2019.121580.
[6] H. Paiva, J. Yliniemi, M. Illikainen, F. Rocha, V. Ferreira, Mine tailings
This review gives an insight into the proper selection of biochar geopolymers as a waste management solution for a more sustainable
as a secondary material in the cementitious composites as well as habitat, Sustainability 11 (2019) 995, https://doi.org/10.3390/su11040995.
[7] T. Luukkonen, Z. Abdollahnejad, J. Yliniemi, P. Kinnunen, M. Illikainen, One-
its optimum content, depending on what aspects of cementitious part alkali-activated materials: A review, Cem. Concr. Res. 103 (2018) 21–34,
material are desired to be improved. The review shows the high https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2017.10.001.
dependency of moisture transfer and mechanical properties of [8] L.T.T. Vo, P. Navard, Treatments of plant biomass for cementitious building
materials – A review, Constr. Build. Mater. 121 (2016) 161–176, https://doi.
biochar-added cementitious materials on the type of feedstock,
org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.05.125.
biochar production conditions, physicochemical properties of bio- [9] N.L. Thomas, J.D. Birchall, The retarding action of sugars on cement hydration,
char, mix formulation, particle size of biochar and the state of Cem. Concr. Res. 13 (1983) 830–842, https://doi.org/10.1016/0008-8846(83)
90084-4.
added biochar. All the biochar key features influencing the perfor-
[10] S. Muthukrishnan, S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, Application of rice husk biochar and
mance of cementitious materials were profoundly reviewed in this thermally treated low silica rice husk ash to improve physical properties of
paper. Apparently, a wide range of experiments are still demanded cement mortar, Theor. Appl. Fract. Mech. 104 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/
to be conducted in this field to draw a better conclusion on the j.tafmec.2019.102376.
[11] H. Lee, S. Yang, S. Wi, S. Kim, Thermal transfer behavior of biochar-natural
effect of each factor on the cement composite performance. Water inorganic clay composite for building envelope insulation, Constr. Build.
retention capacity of biochar is observed to promote internal cur- Mater. 223 (2019) 668–678, https://doi.org/10.1016/
ing of mortar and early-age hydration. High chemical stability of j.conbuildmat.2019.06.215.
[12] S. Yang, S. Wi, J. Lee, H. Lee, S. Kim, Biochar-red clay composites for energy
biochar was perceived in the literature. Although, its clear effect efficiency as eco-friendly building materials: Thermal and mechanical
on the long-term behavior of cementitious materials remain performance, J. Hazard. Mater. 373 (2019) 844–855, https://doi.org/
unclear. The future research should focus fairly on the durability 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.03.079.
[13] S. Zhao, B. Huang, X. Shu, P. Ye, Laboratory investigation of Biochar-modified
of biochar-added cementitious materials under severe environ- asphalt mixture, Transp. Res. Rec. J. Transp. Res. Board. 2445 (2014) 56–63,
mental conditions. The future research should take an advantage https://doi.org/10.3141/2445-07.
of high CO2 adsorption capacity of biochar in the cement-lime [14] Walters, enhancing asphalt rheological behavior and aging susceptibility
using bio-char and nano-clay, Am. J. Eng. Appl. Sci. 7 (2014) 66–76.
matrices because it may trigger inner carbonation of lime.
https://doi.org/10.3844/ajeassp.2014.66.76.
This review also revealed necessity of the extend of studies [15] R. Farges, A. Gharzouni, B. Ravier, P. Jeulin, S. Rossignol, Insulating foams and
respecting the biochar application as a partial cement replacement. dense geopolymers from biochar by-products, J. Ceram. Sci. Technol. 9 (2018)
193–200, https://doi.org/10.4416/JCST2017-00098.
There is an open issue regarding the use of biochar as a partial
[16] R.M. Novais, M. Saeli, A.P.F. Caetano, M.P. Seabra, J.A. Labrincha, K.P.
cement replacement in large quantities due to its detrimental Surendran, R.C. Pullar, Pyrolysed cork-geopolymer composites: A novel and
effect of biochar addition on the cement hydration and strength sustainable EMI shielding building material, Constr. Build. Mater. 229 (2019),
development. Therefore, the authors suggest the development of https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.116930.
[17] K.G. Roberts, B.A. Gloy, S. Joseph, N.R. Scott, J. Lehmann, Life cycle assessment
biochar particles with improved properties through synthesis of of biochar systems: estimating the energetic, economic, and climate change
biochar-carbon nanotubes or graphene-like biochar nanosheets. potential, Environ. Sci. Technol. 44 (2010) 827–833, https://doi.org/10.1021/
Concerning high sustainability and impressive environmental ben- es902266r.
[18] D. Woolf, J.E. Amonette, F.A. Street-Perrott, J. Lehmann, S. Joseph, Sustainable
efits of biochar application in cementitious materials, an in-depth biochar to mitigate global climate change, Nat. Commun. 1 (2010) 56, https://
life cycle analysis is demanded. doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1053.
[19] L. Rodier, K. Bilba, C. Onésippe, M.-A. Arsène, Utilization of bio-chars from
sugarcane bagasse pyrolysis in cement-based composites, Ind. Crops Prod.
141 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.111731.
Declaration of Competing Interest [20] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, C.Y. Low, Use of biochar as carbon sequestering additive
in cement mortar, Cem. Concr. Compos. 87 (2018) 110–129, https://doi.org/
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan- 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2017.12.009.
[21] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, S.D. Pang, Biochar-mortar composite: Manufacturing,
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared evaluation of physical properties and economic viability, Constr. Build. Mater.
to influence the work reported in this paper. 167 (2018) 874–889, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.02.104.
15
[22] M. Ali Zahed, S. Salehi, R. Madadi, F. Hejabi, Biochar as a sustainable product [47] M.A. Arsne, A. Okwo, K. Bilba, A.B.O. Soboyejo, W.O. Soboyejo, Chemically and
for remediation of petroleum contaminated soil, Curr. Res. Green Sustain. thermally treated vegetable fibers for reinforcement of cement-based
Chem. 4 (2021), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crgsc.2021.100055. composites, Mater. Manuf. Process. 22 (2007) 214–227, https://doi.org/
[23] M.Y. Zhao, A. Enders, J. Lehmann, Short- and long-term flammability of 10.1080/10426910601063386.
biochars, Biomass Bioenergy 69 (2014) 183–191, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. [48] A. Kumar, L. Wang, Y.A. Dzenis, D.D. Jones, M.A. Hanna, Thermogravimetric
biombioe.2014.07.017. characterization of corn stover as gasification and pyrolysis feedstock,
[24] W.C. Choi, H. Do Yun, J.Y. Lee, Mechanical properties of mortar containing Biomass Bioenergy 32 (2008) 460–467, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
bio-char from pyrolysis, J. Korea Inst. Struct. Maint. Insp. 16 (2012) 67–74. biombioe.2007.11.004.
[25] X. Yang, H. Wang, P.J. Strong, S. Xu, S. Liu, K. Lu, K. Sheng, J. Guo, L. Che, L. He, [49] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, Carbonaceous micro- filler for cement: Effect of particle
Y.S. Ok, G. Yuan, Y. Shen, X. Chen, Thermal properties of biochars derived from size and dosage of biochar on fresh and hardened properties of cement
Waste biomass generated by agricultural and forestry sectors, Energies 10 mortar, Sci. Total Environ. 662 (2019) 952–962, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
(2017), https://doi.org/10.3390/en10040469. scitotenv.2019.01.269.
[26] E. Ranzi, A. Cuoci, T. Faravelli, A. Frassoldati, G. Migliavacca, S. Pierucci, S. [50] A. Parihar, P. Sripada, K. Bambery, G. Garnier, S. Bhattacharya, Investigation of
Sommariva, Chemical kinetics of biomass pyrolysis, Energy Fuels 22 (2008) functional group changes in biomass during slow pyrolysis using synchrotron
4292–4300, https://doi.org/10.1021/ef800551t. based infra-red microspectroscopy and thermogravimetry-infra-red
[27] J. Wang, S. Wang, Preparation, modification and environmental application of spectroscopy, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 127 (2017) 394–401, https://doi.org/
biochar: A review, J. Clean. Prod. 227 (2019) 1002–1022, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jaap.2017.07.010.
10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.282. [51] S.Y. Son, Y. Lee, S. Won, D.H. Lee, S.D. Kim, S.W. Sung, High-quality
[28] A. Shaaban, S.-M. Se, M.F. Dimin, J.M. Juoi, M.H. Mohd Husin, N.M.M. Mitan, multiwalled carbon nanotubes from catalytic decomposition of carboneous
Influence of heating temperature and holding time on biochars derived from materials in gas solid fluidized beds, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 47 (2008) 2166–
rubber wood sawdust via slow pyrolysis, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 107 (2014) 2175, https://doi.org/10.1021/ie0711630.
31–39, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2014.01.021. [52] O. Das, A.K. Sarmah, D. Bhattacharyya, Structure-mechanics property
[29] J. Rouquerol, F. Rouquerol, P. Llewellyn, G. Maurin, K.S.W. Sing, Adsorption by relationship of waste derived biochars, Sci. Total Environ. 538 (2015) 611–
Powders and Porous Solids: Principles, Methodology and Applications, 620, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.073.
Academic Press, 2013. [53] S.V. Vassilev, D. Baxter, L.K. Andersen, C.G. Vassileva, An overview of the
[30] C.E. Brewer, V.J. Chuang, C.A. Masiello, H. Gonnermann, X. Gao, B. Dugan, L.E. chemical composition of biomass, Fuel 89 (2010) 913–933, https://doi.org/
Driver, P. Panzacchi, K. Zygourakis, C.A. Davies, New approaches to measuring 10.1016/j.fuel.2009.10.022.
biochar density and porosity, Biomass Bioenergy 66 (2014) 176–185, https:// [54] G. Zaja˛c, J. Szyszlak-Bargłowicz, W. Gołe˛biowski, M. Szczepanik, Chemical
doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.03.059. characteristics of biomass ashes, Energies 11 (2018) 2885, https://doi.org/
[31] Z. Tan, J. Zou, L. Zhang, Q. Huang, Morphology, pore size distribution, and 10.3390/en11112885.
nutrient characteristics in biochars under different pyrolysis temperatures [55] D.M. Keown, G. Favas, J.I. Hayashi, C.Z. Li, Volatilisation of alkali and alkaline
and atmospheres, J. Mater. Cycles Waste Manag. (2017), https://doi.org/ earth metallic species during the pyrolysis of biomass: Differences between
10.1007/s10163-017-0666-5. sugar cane bagasse and cane trash, Bioresour. Technol. 96 (2005) 1570–1577,
[32] N. Claoston, A. Samsuri, M. Ahmad Husni, M. Mohd Amran, Effects of https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2004.12.014.
pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of empty fruit [56] J.W. Gaskin, C. Steiner, K. Harris, K.C. Das, B. Bibens, Effect of low-temperature
bunch and rice husk biochars, Waste Manag. Res. 32 (2014) 331–339, https:// pyrolysis conditions on biochar for agricultural use, Trans. ASABE 51 (2008)
doi.org/10.1177/0734242X14525822. 2061–2069, https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.25409.
[33] M.J. Antal, M. Grønli, The art, science, and technology of charcoal production, [57] O. Onay, A.F. Gaines, O.M. Kockar, M. Adams, T.R. Tyagi, C.E. Snape,
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 42 (2003) 1619–1640, https://doi.org/10.1021/ Comparison of the generation of oil by the extraction and the
ie0207919. hydropyrolysis of biomass, Fuel 85 (2006) 382–392, https://doi.org/
[34] D. Rehrah, R.R. Bansode, O. Hassan, M. Ahmedna, Physico-chemical 10.1016/j.fuel.2005.06.014.
characterization of biochars from solid municipal waste for use in soil [58] S. Wang, Z. Luo, GREEN Alternative Energy Resources, 2017. https://doi.org/
amendment, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 118 (2016) 42–53, https://doi.org/ 10.1515/9783110369632-001.
10.1016/j.jaap.2015.12.022. [59] L. Restuccia, G.A. Ferro, Promising low cost carbon-based materials to improve
[35] A.Y. Elnour, A.A. Alghyamah, H.M. Shaikh, A.M. Poulose, S.M. Al-Zahrani, A. strength and toughness in cement composites, Constr. Build. Mater. 126
Anis, M.I. Al-Wabel, Effect of pyrolysis temperature on biochar (2016) 1034–1043, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.09.101.
microstructural evolution, physicochemical characteristics, and its influence [60] K. Raveendran, A. Ganesh, K.C. Khilar, Influence of mineral matter on biomass
on biochar/polypropylene composites, Appl. Sci. 9 (2019) 1149, https://doi. pyrolysis characteristics, Fuel 74 (1995) 1812–1822, https://doi.org/10.1016/
org/10.3390/app9061149. 0016-2361(95)80013-8.
[36] C. Guizani, M. Jeguirim, S. Valin, L. Limousy, S. Salvador, Biomass chars: The [61] ASTM C618-19, Standard Specification for Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined
effects of pyrolysis conditions on their morphology, structure, chemical Natural Pozzolan for Use in Concrete, in: ASTM International, West
properties and reactivity, Energies 10 (2017) 1–18, https://doi.org/10.3390/ Conshohocken, PA, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1520/C0618-19.
en10060796. [62] D.S. Pandey, G. Katsaros, C. Lindfors, J.J. Leahy, S.A. Tassou, Fast pyrolysis of
[37] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, H.J. Koh, Application of biochar from food and wood poultry litter in a bubbling fluidised bed reactor: Energy and nutrient
waste as green admixture for cement mortar, Sci. Total Environ. 619–620 recovery, Sustainability 11 (2019) 1–17, https://doi.org/
(2018) 419–435, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.044. 10.3390/su11092533.
[38] A. Shaaban, S.-M. Se, N.M.M. Mitan, M.F. Dimin, Characterization of biochar [63] A. Akhtar, A.K. Sarmah, Novel biochar-concrete composites: Manufacturing,
derived from rubber wood sawdust through slow pyrolysis on surface characterization and evaluation of the mechanical properties, Sci. Total
porosities and functional groups, Procedia Eng. 68 (2013) 365–371, https:// Environ. 616–617 (2018) 408–416, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2013.12.193. scitotenv.2017.10.319.
[39] F. Shafizadeh, Introduction to pyrolysis of biomass, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 3 [64] P. Kim, A. Johnson, C.W. Edmunds, M. Radosevich, F. Vogt, T.G. Rials, N. Labb,
(1982) 283–305, https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-2370(82)80017-X. Surface Functionality and Carbon Structures in Lignocellulosic-Derived
[40] M. Gray, M.G. Johnson, M.I. Dragila, M. Kleber, Water uptake in biochars: The Biochars Produced by Fast Pyrolysis, (2011) 4693–4703. https://doi.org/
roles of porosity and hydrophobicity, Biomass Bioenergy 61 (2014) 196–205, https://doi.org/10.1021/ef200915s.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2013.12.010. [65] C.A. Mullen, A.A. Boateng, N.M. Goldberg, I.M. Lima, D.A. Laird, K.B. Hicks, Bio-
[41] S.T. Shafie, M.A. Mohd, L.L. Hang, W. Azlina, W. Abdul, K. Ghani, Effect of oil and bio-char production from corn cobs and stover by fast pyrolysis,
pyrolysis temperature on the biochar nutrient and water retention capacity, Biomass Bioenergy 34 (2010) 67–74, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Purity, Util. React. Environ. 1 (2012) 323–337. biombioe.2009.09.012.
[42] Johannes Lehmann, Bio-Energy in the Black, Front. Ecol. Environ. 5 (2007) [66] J.S. Clemente, S. Beauchemin, Y. Thibault, T. MacKinnon, D. Smith,
381–387. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2007)5[381: Differentiating inorganics in biochars produced at commercial scale using
BITB]2.0.CO;2. principal component analysis, ACS Omega 3 (2018) 6931–6944, https://doi.
[43] W.A.W.A.K. Ghani, A. Mohd, G. da Silva, R.T. Bachmann, Y.H. Taufiq-Yap, U. org/10.1021/acsomega.8b00523.
Rashid, A.H. Al-Muhtaseb, Biochar production from waste rubber-wood- [67] EPA. National Primary Drinking Water Regulations., (n.d.). https://www.gvsu.
sawdust and its potential use in C sequestration: Chemical and physical edu/cms4/asset/%0AE1327343-09F0-03FF-AA9032F47AD1EB9C/standards.
characterization, Ind. Crops Prod. 44 (2013) 18–24, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. pdf.
indcrop.2012.10.017. [68] L. Tiruta-Barna, R. Barna, Potential hazards from waste based/recycled
[44] Y.S. Montenegro Camacho, S. Bensaid, B. Ruggeri, L. Restuccia, G. Ferro, G. building materials, in: F. Pacheco-Torgal, S. Jalali, A. Fucic (Eds.), Toxic.
Mancini, D. Fino, Valorisation of by-products/waste of agro-food industry by Build. Mater., Elsevier, 2012: pp. 391–426. https://doi.org/10.1533/
the pyrolysis process, J. Adv. Catal Sci. Technol. 3 (2016) 1–11. 9780857096357.391.
[45] A.O. Aboyade, T.J. Hugo, M. Carrier, E.L. Meyer, R. Stahl, J.H. Knoetze, J.F. [69] X. Yang, W. Ng, B.S.E. Wong, G.H. Baeg, C.H. Wang, Y.S. Ok, Characterization
Görgens, Non-isothermal kinetic analysis of the devolatilization of corn cobs and ecotoxicological investigation of biochar produced via slow pyrolysis:
and sugar cane bagasse in an inert atmosphere, Thermochim. Acta. 517 Effect of feedstock composition and pyrolysis conditions, J. Hazard. Mater.
(2011) 81–89, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2011.01.035. 365 (2019) 178–185, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.10.047.
[46] D.A. Mortari, I. Avila, A.M. Dos Santos, P.M. Crnkovic, Study of thermal [70] R.K. Dhir, G.S. Ghataora, C.J. Lynn, Concrete-Related Applications, in: Sustain.
decomposition and ignition temperature of bagasse, coal and their blends, Constr. Mater., Elsevier, 2017: pp. 111–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-
Rev. Eng. Térmica. 9 (2010) 81, https://doi.org/10.5380/reterm.v9i1-2.61937. 08-100987-1.00005-6.
16
[71] C.H. King Lam, J.P. Barford, G. McKay, Utilization of incineration waste ash [96] J.A. Baldock, R.J. Smernik, Chemical composition and bioavailability of
residues in Portland cement clinker, Chem. Eng. Trans. 21 (2010) 757–762, thermally altered Pinus resinosa (Red pine) wood, Org. Geochem. 33 (2002)
https://doi.org/10.3303/CET1021127. 1093–1109, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0146-6380(02)00062-1.
[72] I. Hohberg, P. Schiessl, Influence of Concrete Technical Parameters on the [97] K.A. Spokas, Review of the stability of biochar in soils: Predictability of O: C
Leaching Behaviour of Mortar and Concrete, in: Waste Mater. Constr. Putt. molar ratios, Carbon Manag. 1 (2010) 289–303, https://doi.org/10.4155/
Theory into Pract., 1997: pp. 253–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0166-1116 cmt.10.32.
(97)80208-7. [98] S. Amziane, L. Arnaud, Bio-aggregate-based Building Materials: Applications
[73] D. Wei, R. Dave, R. Pfeffer, Mixing and characterization of nanosized powders: to Hemp Concretes, Wiley-ISTE, 2013.
An assessment of different techniques, J. Nanoparticle Res. 4 (2002) 21–41, [99] P. Pariyar, K. Kumari, M.K. Jain, P.S. Jadhao, Evaluation of change in biochar
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020184524538. properties derived from different feedstock and pyrolysis temperature for
[74] I. Cosentino, L. Restuccia, G. Andrea, J. Tulliani, Type of materials, pyrolysis environmental and agricultural application, Sci. Total Environ. 713 (2020),
conditions, carbon content and size dimensions: The parameters that https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136433.
influence the mechanical properties of biochar cement- based composites, [100] D. Porter, Renewable energy policy and incentives, 2012. https://doi.org/
Theor. Appl. Fract. Mech. 103 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j. 10.1016/B978-0-08-087872-0.00901-X.
tafmec.2019.102261. [101] J.H. Windeatt, A.B. Ross, P.T. Williams, P.M. Forster, M.A. Nahil, S. Singh,
[75] C.C. Yang, Effect of the transition zone on the elastic moduli of mortar, Cem. Characteristics of biochars from crop residues: Potential for carbon
Concr. Res. 28 (1998) 727–736, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(98) sequestration and soil amendment, J. Environ. Manage. 146 (2014) 189–
00035-0. 197, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.08.003.
[76] R.A. Khushnood, S. Ahmad, L. Restuccia, C. Spoto, P. Jagdale, J.M. Tulliani, G.A. [102] Effect of Temperature on the Structural and Physicochemical Properties of
Ferro, Carbonized nano/microparticles for enhanced mechanical properties Biochar with Apple Tree Branches as Feedstock Material, Energies. 10 (2017)
and electromagnetic interference shielding of cementitious materials, Front. 1293. https://doi.org/10.3390/en10091293.
Struct. Civ. Eng. 10 (2016) 209–213, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-016- [103] J.W. Lee, ed., Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts, Springer New York, New
0330-5. York, NY, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3348-4.
[77] I. Merchant, D. Macphee, H. Chandler, R. Henderson, Toughening cement- [104] H.A. Alhashimi, C.B. Aktas, Life cycle environmental and economic
based materials through the control of interfacial bonding, Cem. Concr. Res. performance of biochar compared with activated carbon: A meta-analysis,
31 (2001) 1873–1880, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(01)00500-2. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 118 (2017) 13–26, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
[78] K. Roy, A. Akhtar, S. Sachdev, M. Hsu, J. Lim, A. Sarmah, Development and resconrec.2016.11.016.
characterization of novel biochar-mortar composite utilizing waste derived [105] C. Pade, M. Guimaraes, The CO2 uptake of concrete in a 100 year perspective,
pyrolysis biochar, (2017). Cem. Concr. Res. 37 (2007) 1348–1356, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
[79] K. Weber, P. Quicker, Properties of biochar, Fuel 217 (2018) 240–261, https:// cemconres.2007.06.009.
doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2017.12.054. [106] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, S. Yee, T. Cynthia, Use of biochar-coated polypropylene
[80] M. Ahmad, S.S. Lee, X. Dou, D. Mohan, J.-K. Sung, J.E. Yang, Y.S. Ok, Effects of fibers for carbon sequestration and physical improvement of mortar, Cem.
pyrolysis temperature on soybean stover- and peanut shell-derived biochar Concr. Compos. (2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2017.07.012.
properties and TCE adsorption in water, Bioresour. Technol. 118 (2012) 536– [107] Z. Laili, M.S. Yasir, M.A.W. Yusof, Leaching behaviour of Cs-134 immobilised
544, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2012.05.042. in cement-biochar matrix, J. Teknol. 78 (2016) 59–67, https://doi.org/
[81] I. Messaoudene, R. Jauberthie, Marble filler: Does it retard the dissolution of 10.11113/jt.v78.6296.
cement constituents?, ISRN Mater. Sci. 2011 (2011) 1–5, https://doi.org/ [108] A. Akhtar, A.K. Sarmah, Strength improvement of recycled aggregate concrete
10.5402/2011/695123. through silicon rich char derived from organic waste, J. Clean. Prod. 196
[82] A. Dixit, S. Gupta, S.D. Pang, H.W. Kua, Waste Valorisation using biochar for (2018) 411–423, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.044.
cement replacement and internal curing in ultra-high performance concrete, [109] Y. Han, J. Zhang, Y. Luosun, T. Hao, Effect of internal curing on internal relative
J. Clean. Prod. 238 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117876. humidity and shrinkage of high strength concrete slabs, Constr. Build. Mater.
[83] O. Das, A.K. Sarmah, The love–hate relationship of pyrolysis biochar and 61 (2014) 41–49, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.02.060.
water: A perspective, Sci. Total Environ. 512–513 (2015) 682–685, https:// [110] Z. Jiang, Z. Sun, P. Wang, Internal relative humidity distribution in high-
doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.061. performance cement paste due to moisture diffusion and self-desiccation,
[84] B. Liang, J. Lehmann, D. Solomon, J. Kinyangi, J. Grossman, B. O’Neill, J.O. Cem. Concr. Res. 36 (2006) 320–325, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
Skjemstad, J. Thies, F.J. Luizão, J. Petersen, E.G. Neves, Black carbon increases cemconres.2005.07.006.
cation exchange capacity in soils, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 70 (2006) 1719–1730, [111] R. Henkensiefken, J. Castro, D. Bentz, T. Nantung, J. Weiss, Water absorption
https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2005.0383. in internally cured mortar made with water-filled lightweight aggregate,
[85] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, Effect of water entrainment by pre-soaked biochar Cem. Concr. Res. 39 (2009) 883–892, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
particles on strength and permeability of cement mortar, Constr. Build. Mater. cemconres.2009.06.009.
159 (2018) 107–125, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.10.095. [112] J. Zhang, K. Qi, Y. Huang, Calculation of moisture distribution in early-age
[86] S.D.J. Duarte, B. Glaser, Effect of Biochar Particle Size on Physical , concrete, J. Eng. Mech. 135 (2009) 871–880, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)
Hydrological and Chemical Properties of Loamy and Sandy Tropical Soils, 0733-9399(2009)135:8(871).
(2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9040165. [113] M. Azenha, K. Maekawa, T. Ishida, R. Faria, Drying induced moisture losses
[87] S. Mindess, J.F. Young, D. Darwin, Concrete 2nd Edition, 2003. from mortar to the environment. Part I: experimental research, Mater. Struct.
[88] V. Hanklin, T. Ahonen, R. Raiko, On thermal properties of a pyrolysing wood 40 (2007) 801–811, https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-007-9244-y.
particle, Process Eng. (2009) 1–20. [114] M. Bakhshi, B. Mobasher, Experimental observations of early-age drying of
[89] U. Berardi, M. Naldi, The impact of the temperature dependent thermal Portland cement paste under low-pressure conditions, Cem. Concr.
conductivity of insulating materials on the effective building envelope Compos. 33 (2011) 474–484, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2011.
performance, Energy Build. 144 (2017) 262–275, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. 01.009.
enbuild.2017.03.052. [115] A.C. Garrabrants, D.S. Kosson, Modeling moisture transport from a portland
[90] D. Cuthbertson, U. Berardi, C. Briens, F. Berruti, Biochar from residual biomass cement-based material during storage in reactive and inert atmospheres,
as a concrete filler for improved thermal and acoustic properties, Biomass Dry. Technol. 21 (2003) 775–805, https://doi.org/10.1081/DRT-120021686.
Bioenergy 120 (2019) 77–83, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. [116] M.W. Lin, J.B. Berman, M. Khoshbakht, C.A. Feickert, A.O. Abatan, Modeling of
biombioe.2018.11.007. moisture migration in an FRP reinforced masonry structure, Build. Environ.
[91] L. Świerczek, B.M. Cieślik, P. Konieczka, The potential of raw sewage sludge in 41 (2006) 646–656, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.02.026.
construction industry – A review, J. Clean. Prod. 200 (2018) 342–356, https:// [117] A.S. El-Dieb, Self-curing concrete: Water retention, hydration and moisture
doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.188. transport, Constr. Build. Mater. 21 (2007) 1282–1287, https://doi.org/
[92] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, Factors determining the potential of biochar as a carbon 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2006.02.007.
capturing and sequestering construction material: Critical review, J. Mater. [118] L. Mo, J. Fang, B. Huang, A. Wang, M. Deng, Combined effects of biochar and
Civ. Eng. 29 (2017) 04017086, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943- MgO expansive additive on the autogenous shrinkage, internal relative
5533.0001924. humidity and compressive strength of cement pastes, Constr. Build. Mater.
[93] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, Combination of biochar and silica fume as partial cement 229 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.116877.
replacement in mortar: Performance evaluation under normal and elevated [119] Z. Chen, C.S. Poon, Comparative studies on the effects of sewage sludge ash
temperature, Waste Biomass Valorization (2019), https://doi.org/10.1007/ and fly ash on cement hydration and properties of cement mortars, Constr.
s12649-018-00573-x. Build. Mater. 154 (2017) 791–803, https://doi.org/10.1016/
[94] K. Hammes, R.J. Smernik, J.O. Skjemstad, M.W.I. Schmidt, Characterisation j.conbuildmat.2017.08.003.
and evaluation of reference materials for black carbon analysis using [120] B. Šavija, M. Luković, Carbonation of cement paste: Understanding,
elemental composition, colour, BET surface area and 13C NMR challenges, and opportunities, Constr. Build. Mater. 117 (2016) 285–301,
spectroscopy, Appl. Geochem. 23 (2008) 2113–2122, https://doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.04.138.
10.1016/j.apgeochem.2008.04.023. [121] L. Evangelista, M. Guedes, 14 - Microstructural studies on recycled aggregate
[95] M.W.I. Schmidt, A.G. Noack, Black carbon in soils and sediments: Analysis, concrete, in: J. de Brito, F.B.T.-N.T. in E. and R.C. Agrela (Eds.), Woodhead Publ.
distribution, implications, and current challenges, Global Biogeochem. Cycles. Ser. Civ. Struct. Eng., Woodhead Publishing, 2019: pp. 425–451. https://doi.
14 (2000) 777–793, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999GB001208. org/https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102480-5.00014-2.
17
[122] K.L. Scrivener, Backscattered electron imaging of cementitious [137] A.M. Brandt, Cement-Based Composites Second Edition, 2009. https://doi.org/
microstructures : understanding and quantification, 26 (2004) 935–945. 10.2307/3080338.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2004.02.029. [138] M. Zamanian, M. Mortezaei, B. Salehnia, J.E. Jam, Fracture toughness of epoxy
[123] A.-M. Poppe, G. De Schutter, Cement hydration in the presence of high filler polymer modified with nanosilica particles: Particle size effect, Eng. Fract.
contents, Cem. Concr. Res. 35 (2005) 2290–2299, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. Mech. 97 (2013) 193–206, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
cemconres.2005.03.008. engfracmech.2012.10.027.
[124] S. Gupta, P. Krishnan, A. Kashani, H.W. Kua, Application of biochar from [139] D. Snoeck, D. Schaubroeck, P. Dubruel, N. De Belie, Effect of high amounts of
coconut and wood waste to reduce shrinkage and improve physical superabsorbent polymers and additional water on the workability,
properties of silica fume-cement mortar, Constr. Build. Mater. 262 (2020), microstructure and strength of mortars with a water-to-cement ratio of
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120688. 0.50, Constr. Build. Mater. 72 (2014) 148–157, https://doi.org/10.1016/
[125] S. Gupta, S. Muthukrishnan, H.W. Kua, Comparing influence of inert biochar j.conbuildmat.2014.09.012.
and silica rich biochar on cement mortar – Hydration kinetics and durability [140] M.G. Beltrán, A. Barbudo, F. Agrela, J.R. Jiménez, J. De Brito, Mechanical
under chloride and sulfate environment, Constr. Build. Mater. (2020), https:// performance of bedding mortars made with olive biomass bottom ash,
doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121142. Constr. Build. Mater. 112 (2016) 699–707, https://doi.org/10.1016/
[126] S. Gupta, K.N. Palansooriya, P.D. Dissanayake, Y.S. Ok, H.W. Kua, j.conbuildmat.2016.02.065.
Carbonaceous inserts from lignocellulosic and non-lignocellulosic sources [141] M.R. Ahmad, B. Chen, H. Duan, Improvement effect of pyrolyzed agro-food
in cement mortar: Preparation conditions and its effect on hydration kinetics biochar on the properties of magnesium phosphate cement, Sci. Total
and physical properties, Constr. Build. Mater. 264 (2020), https://doi.org/ Environ. 718 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137422.
10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120214. [142] L. Restuccia, G.A. Ferro, D. Suarez-Riera, A. Sirico, P. Bernardi, B. Belletti, A.
[127] G. Espinoza-Hijazin, M. Lopez, Extending internal curing to concrete mixtures Malcevschi, Mechanical characterization of different biochar-based cement
with W/C higher than 0.42, Constr. Build. Mater. 25 (2011) 1236–1242, composites, Procedia Struct. Integr. 25 (2020) 226–233, https://doi.org/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.09.031. 10.1016/j.prostr.2020.04.027.
[128] R. Mrad, G. Chehab, Mechanical and microstructure properties of biochar- [143] L. Wang, L. Chen, D.C.W. Tsang, B. Guo, J. Yang, Z. Shen, D. Hou, Y.S. Ok, C.S.
based mortar: An internal curing agent for PCC, Sustainability 11 (2019), Poon, Biochar as green additives in cement-based composites with carbon
https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092491. dioxide curing, J. Clean. Prod. 258 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
[129] P. Vargas, O. Restrepo-Baena, J.I. Tobón, Microstructural analysis of interfacial jclepro.2020.120678.
transition zone (ITZ) and its impact on the compressive strength of [144] S. Praneeth, R. Guo, T. Wang, B.K. Dubey, A.K. Sarmah, Accelerated
lightweight concretes, Constr. Build. Mater. 137 (2017) 381–389, https:// carbonation of biochar reinforced cement-fly ash composites: Enhancing
doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.01.101. and sequestering CO2 in building materials, Constr. Build. Mater. 244 (2020),
[130] K.L. Scrivener, A.K. Crumbie, P. Laugesen, The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118363.
between cement paste and aggregate in concrete, Interface Sci. 12 (2004) [145] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, Application of rice husk biochar as filler in cenosphere
411–421, https://doi.org/10.1023/B:INTS.0000042339.92990.4c. modified mortar: Preparation, characterization and performance under
[131] S. Gupta, H.W. Kua, S.D. Pang, Effect of biochar on mechanical and elevated temperature, Constr. Build. Mater. 253 (2020), https://doi.org/
permeability properties of concrete exposed to elevated temperature, 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.119083.
Constr. Build. Mater. 234 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/ [146] [146] L. Alarcon-ruiz, G. Platret, E. Massieu, A. Ehrlacher, The use of thermal
j.conbuildmat.2019.117338. analysis in assessing the effect of temperature on a cement paste, 35 (2005)
[132] A. Sirico, P. Bernardi, B. Belletti, A. Malcevschi, E. Dalcanale, I. Domenichelli, P. 609–613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.06.015.
Fornoni, E. Moretti, Mechanical characterization of cement-based materials [147] M. Castellote, C. Alonso, C. Andrade, X. Turrillas, J. Campo, Composition and
containing biochar from gasification, Constr. Build. Mater. 246 (2020), microstructural changes of cement pastes upon heating, as studied by
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118490. neutron diffraction, Cem. Concr. Res. 34 (2004) 1633–1644, https://doi.org/
[133] S. Ahmad, R.A. Khushnood, P. Jagdale, J.M. Tulliani, G.A. Ferro, High 10.1016/S0008-8846(03)00229-1.
performance self-consolidating cementitious composites by using micro [148] C. Alonso, L. Fernandez, C. Science, E. Torroja, S.G. No, Dehydration and
carbonized bamboo particles, Mater. Des. 76 (2015) 223–229, https://doi.org/ rehydration processes of cement paste exposed to high temperature
10.1016/j.matdes.2015.03.048. environments, J. Mater. Sci. 9 (2004) 3015–3024.
[134] D. Suarez-Riera, L. Restuccia, G.A. Ferro, The use of Biochar to reduce the [149] D.R. Lide, CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 85th Edition, CRC press,
carbon footprint of cement-based, Procedia Struct. Integr. (2020) 199–210, 2004.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prostr.2020.06.023. [150] T.D.L. Wei-Ming Lin, L.J. Powers-Couche, Microstructures of Fire-Damaged
[135] G.A. Zickler, T. Schöberl, O. Paris, Mechanical properties of pyrolysed wood: a Concrete, ACI Mater. J. 93 (1996) 199–205.
nanoindentation study, Philos. Mag. 86 (2006) 1373–1386, https://doi.org/ [151] F. Rouquerol, J. Rouquerol, K. Sing, Adsorption by Powders and Porous Solids,
10.1080/14786430500431390. Elsevier, 1999. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-598920-6.X5000-3
[136] V.C. Li, M. Maalej, Toughening in cement based composites. Part I: Cement, [152] M.W. Carlson, L.R. Forbrich, Correlation of methods for measuring heat of
mortar, and concrete, Cem. Concr. Compos. 18 (1996) 223–237, https://doi. hydration of cement, Ind. Eng. Chem. Anal. Ed. 10 (1938) 382–386, https://
org/10.1016/0958-9465(95)00028-3. doi.org/10.1021/ac50123a012.
18

Construction and Building Materials: Hamid Maljaee, Rozita Madadi, Helena Paiva, Luis Tarelho, Victor M. Ferreira

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Construction and Building Materials: Hamid Maljaee, Rozita Madadi, Helena Paiva, Luis Tarelho, Victor M. Ferreira

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Construction and Building Materials: Hamid Maljaee, Rozita Madadi, Helena Paiva, Luis Tarelho, Victor M. Ferreira

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Construction and Building Materials 283 (2021) 122757

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect