1 Department of Architecture & Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea; Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, 1455, de Maisonneuve, Montreal, QC, H3G 1M8, Canada. Electronic address: p_jihun@live.concordia.ca.
2 Department of Architecture & Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yuk92@yonsei.ac.kr.
3 Department of Architecture & Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: marumoro@yonsei.ac.kr.
4 Department of Architecture & Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yby@yonsei.ac.kr.
5 Department of Architecture & Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: yujin.k@yonsei.ac.kr.
6 Department of Architecture & Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kimsumin@yonsei.ac.kr.

Analysis of biochar-mortar composite as a humidity control material to improve the building energy and hygrothermal performance.

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Feb 08; 775:145552

Authors: Park JH, Kim YU, Jeon J, Yun BY, Kang Y, Kim S

Abstract

This study suggests a new perspective of biochar as a building material that improve not only for the strength but also hygrothermal properties. Biochar has a high porosity and surface area created by pyrolysis. It can be suitably used as a porous material because porous materials are used by incorporating into building materials for improving hygrothermal performance in the construction sector. To analyze whether biochar can be used as a functional building material to improve the hygrothermal performance, two types of biochar, made from oilseed rape (OSB) and mixed softwood (SWB), were prepared. A biochar-mortar composite was prepared according to the mixing ratio of the biochar from 2 wt% to 8 wt%, and the compressive strength and hygrothermal performance of them were analyzed. The compressive strength is the highest when 4 wt% of biochar into the mortar was mixed regardless of the type of biochar. Thermal conductivity of biochar-mortar composites was decreased as the biochar addition increased, and the value of biochar-mortar composites with 8 wt% OSB decreases by maximum 57.6% compared to the conventional cement mortar. The water vapor resistance factor of biochar-mortar composites increases, and biochar-mortar composites with 8 wt% SWB increases by maximum 50.9% compared to the reference. WUFI simulation shows that the biochar-mortar composites can contribute to a humidity control and no mold growth. The biochar-mortar composites can also contribute to energy savings although the amount of savings is insignificant. As a result, this study proved that when the mortar with biochar addition was possible to improve not only strength but also hygrothermal properties of mortar. This approach will be a new perspective that biochar can apply to the building material in practice.

PMID: 33611181 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]