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What is Biochar Concrete? A Beginner's Guide
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if you have clicked on the video you are
probably aware of the environmental
challenges posed by conventional
concrete we all know that concrete
production significantly impacts our
planet's sustainability but what if
there were more eco-friendly
Alternatives among various solutions for
making concrete more sustainable one
such alternative is biochar
concrete a promising option that could
help reduce its environmental footprint
while maintaining strength and durability
durability
let's learn how biochar concrete is
gaining popularity in
construction what is
biochar biochar is a type of charcoal
produced after the thermal decomposition
of organic waste called
pyrolysis pyrolysis involves heating
organic materials like wood agricultural
waste or biomass without the presence of
oxygen this process breaks down the
material into three main products one
gases two two liquids three
biochar while the gases and liquids
formed after the process are used for
energy production the solid byproduct
biochar is what interests us when we
talk about its use in
concrete now that you have understood
how biochar is produced you'll have to
keep in mind that the production of
biochar involves various methods and
techniques of pyrolysis which method to
choose is merely dependent on the type
of biomass moisture content desired
biochar properties and available
resources how can biochar replace cement
in concrete biochar derived from the
pyrolysis of biomass is a carbon-rich
material with the potential to
substitute for cement and improve
structural performance when used in
optimal amounts when we discover or
invent a product that could replace
cement in concrete given cement's
essential role it is desirable that the
alternative material exhibit Superior
performance in all aspects including
cost sustainability and strength biochar
is considered as one such alternative
because of the following reasons one the
structure of biochar exhibits excellent
compatibility with the cement Matrix two
biochar addition modifies and improves
the physical and chemical properties of
the mix three biochar in concrete
improves durability sequesters carbon or
carbon sequestration and mitigates
climatic change
biochar was included for the first time
as a promising negative emission
technology net in the new
intergovernmental panel on climatic
change ipcc special report published on
October 8th
2018 so to truly understand why biochar
is such a promising material for
enhancing concrete it's important to
first explore its inherent properties
let's take a closer look at the Key
properties of biochar that make it a
GameChanger in concrete applications
as mentioned before biochar is a
carbon-rich material created by heating
organic waste like wood crop residues or
even manure in a low oxygen environment
this process is called pyrolysis because
there isn't enough oxygen the material
doesn't burn completely instead it
transforms into a highly stable form of
carbon now why is biochar special
because of its unique structure and
chemical properties it can be used in agriculture
agriculture
water filtration and even concrete today
we're focusing on its role in concrete
and how it affects the hydration process of
of
cement the micr structure of
biochar now imagine we zoom into biochar
under a powerful microscope what would
we see one a highly porous
structure biochar is full of tiny pores
and channels these pores come from the
original cellular structure of the plant
material it was made from
two a large surface area because of its
porous Nature biochar has a huge surface
area compared to its size a tiny amount
of biochar can have hundreds of square
meters of surface area three functional
groups on its surface biochar contains
hydroxy o and carboxy cooh groups these
chemical groups make biochar reactive
with water and cement particles now
let's compare this with the micro
structure of concrete to understand how they
they
interact the micro structure of concrete
concrete is a composite material made of
cement water sand and Aggregates the key
component that binds everything together
is cement paste which under goes a
hydration reaction when mixed with water
when cement hydrates it forms one
calcium silicate hydrate CSH this is the
most important product it's what gives
concrete its strength and durability
it forms tiny gel-like structures that
fill the space between sand and
Aggregates hardening over time two
calcium hydroxide CH this is a byproduct
of hydration it's not very strong but it
helps maintain the alkalinity of
concrete three attrite and other
hydration phases these help with early
stage setting and volume stability of
concrete however traditional concrete
has some problems at the micr structural
level it has capillary pores which allow
water and chemicals to seep in leading
to cracks it releases a lot of CO2
during cement production making it environmentally
environmentally
harmful now let's explore what happens
when biochar is added to concrete when
biochar is mixed into concrete it
changes the hydration process in several
ways one water absorption and internal
curing because of its poorest structure
bio biochar absorbs extra water from the
concrete mix but instead of just holding
it biochar slowly releases water back
over time this keeps the hydration
process going for a longer period
reducing cracks and improving long-term
strength think of it like a tiny
Reservoir inside the concrete helping
the material cure better from the
inside two strength and durability
enhancement the large surface area of
biochar provides extra nucleation sites
for CSH formation this means more
binding material is created making the
concrete stronger the pores in biochar
can trap harmful ions like chloride and
sulfate reducing corrosion in reinforced
concrete three carbon sequestration and CO2
CO2
absorption biochar traps carbon
permanently preventing it from returning
to the atmosphere as CO2 some studies
show that biocar concrete can absorb CO2
from the air during curing making it
even more environmentally
friendly four workability and setting
time because biochar absorbs water
adding too much can make fresh concrete
stiff and less workable to fix this the
water content in the mix may need to be
adjusted in small amounts biochar
doesn't delay setting time significantly
but at higher doses it can slow down the process
process
let's compare traditional concrete with
biochar concrete traditional concrete
and biochar concrete differ in several
key aspects traditional concrete has a
dense structure with capillary pores
while biochar concrete is more porous
but retains water aiding curing Strength
In traditional concrete relies on CSH
formation whereas biochar enhances
strength through its nucleation effect
durability improves in biochar concrete
due to internal curing reducing
shrinkage cracks in terms of CO2
emissions traditional concrete is high
due to cement use but biochar concrete
lowers emissions by capturing carbon
lastly while traditional concrete has
minimal water absorption biochar
concrete absorbs more water which helps in
in
curing so what's really happening when
biochar is added to concrete at the micr
structural level it absorbs water stores
carbon and provides extra B sites for
cement hydration at the performance
level it improves strength durability
and resistance to cracking at the
environmental level it reduces CO2
emissions and makes concrete more
sustainable the key is getting the right
balance too little biochar won't have
much effect too much can reduce
workability and require mixed
adjustments but when used correctly
biochar has huge potential to make the
construction industry Greener and more
durable for more deep dives into
Sustainable Building techniques follow
along we've got plenty more coming your way
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