A review on the roles of biochar incorporated into cementitious materials: Mechanisms, application and perspectives

Biochar is a porous carbon-rich solid product derived from biomass pyrolysis, which has been widely applied in soil improvement, sewage heavy metal treatment, and new energy fields. Previous studies have shown the use of biochar as a cement substitute in the production of cementitious materials to reduce resource consumption. However, there is no comprehensive description of the factors that affect cementitious materials' performance when biochar is added. This paper reviews the role of biochar physics chemical properties in cementitious materials. The research findings prove that the excellent physics chemical properties of biochar provide the cementitious materials with good comprehensive performance and wide application prospects. Nevertheless, the unique properties of biochar have not been fully exploited. It is therefore recommended that biochar be mixed proportionally with solid wastes with cementitious or pozzolanic activity to prepare cementitious materials. This review is helpful for providing new ideas for the production of green building materials and solid waste utilization.