An Indian team replaced portions of fine aggregate with zeolite and small amounts of cement with bamboo biochar in M35 concrete. One mix (50% zeolite, 1% biochar) increased strength and captured CO2 in short-term lab tests.
Replacing 50% of fine aggregate with zeolite plus 1% bamboo biochar (ZB5) produced higher compressive and tensile strength than conventional M35 concrete.
ZB5 reached 38.49 MPa compressive strength (7.48% higher) and 4.39 MPa split tensile strength (15% higher) in lab tests.
In a controlled carbonation chamber ZB5 absorbed about 1.2 grams of CO2 per day and showed carbonation depth of 15 mm after seven days.
# What the researchers did Researchers at Mepco Schlenk Engineering College (study led by Srinivasan Revathi) tested whether adding porous zeolite and bamboo biochar to M35-grade concrete could both improve structural performance and absorb carbon dioxide. They made mixes by replacing either 25% or 50% of the fine aggregate with zeolite, and substituting 0.5%, 1%, or 1.5% of the cement with bamboo biochar.
# Why these materials
# Best-performing mix (ZB5) The strongest and highest-uptake formulation combined 50% zeolite replacement of fine aggregate with 1% cement replacement by bamboo biochar, labeled ZB5.
Performance results reported in Carbon Research for ZB5 in lab tests:
# What the lab results mean
# Where this could be used The researchers suggest potential applications in infrastructure exposed to elevated CO2 levels, such as pavements, highway parapet walls, and sewer pipelines. They also note that replacing portions of cement and fine aggregate could reduce reliance on conventional materials, but a full environmental assessment is required.
# Next research steps the authors propose The paper frames current results as proof of concept. Planned follow-up work includes longer-duration outdoor studies, tests under varying temperature, moisture and traffic loads, trials with different biochar types and concrete grades, and experiments with pre-soaked biochar to observe changes in behavior. Those steps are needed before considering commercial or large-scale use.
# Bottom line A lab-scale M35 concrete variant using 50% zeolite and 1% bamboo biochar showed modestly higher short-term strength and measurable CO2 uptake in a carbonation chamber. The approach indicates a feasible path to combine structural performance with carbon absorption, but field durability, long-term uptake rates and full environmental trade-offs remain unproven.
Learn how a team of researchers has turned human waste into biochar, a building material that could be used to make sustainable concrete.
%2CregionOfInterest%3D(960%2C640)%26hash%3D00719a6a676db9234c87d66e70605be426d5de950c69099f39601027356524aa)
Forscher testen vor Gran Canaria, ob Beton CO2 binden kann – und welche Folgen gemahlener Bauschutt für das Meer hat.
Deep beneath the surface of western China, mine shafts are being sunk through water-saturated, weakly cemented rock strata at depths approaching and exceeding one kilometer. The concrete linings that hold these shafts open face a punishing combination of forces: intense surrounding rock stress, high pore water pressure
Wait, what? ScienceAlert stories are written, fact-checked, and edited by humans, never generated by AI. Don't miss a story, subscribe here.
The technology can extract dissolved carbon from seawater and lock it away as stable minerals, potentially enabling long-term carbon storage with lower energy use.
Chemistry is defined. Marketing bollocks is marketing bollocks. Guess what I have had many run ins with the marketing department.
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.