Researchers from the Colorado School of Mines and NREL found that replacing 10% of cement mass with specific types of biochar can maintain or even increase the compressive strength of mortar. This method could potentially reduce the carbon footprint of the resulting material by about 32%. The study identifies key biochar traits that impact performance, including low initial saturation, low oxygen-to-carbon ratios, and the presence of water-soluble silicon. These factors allow biochar to act as an internal curing agent and help form stronger binding phases within the cement matrix.
