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May 7, 2026Buildings3 citationsOpen Access

Advanced Characterization of Eco-Friendly Cement Composites: Hydration Kinetics, Microstructure, and Mechanical Performance

DBDamir BarbirUniversity of Split PDPero DabićUniversity of Split IWIvana WeberUniversity of Split

Key Points

The aim is to synthesize recent advances in eco-friendly cement composites focusing on hydration kinetics and mechanical properties.
Reviewed characterization techniques including isothermal calorimetry and nanoindentation.
Analyzed different materials such as supplementary cementitious materials and bio-based additives.
Identified key mechanisms and quantified property effects for various eco-friendly composites.
Mechanical performance improved through pozzolanic reactions and microstructural evolution.
Fly ash and biochar demonstrated significant enhancements in hydration and durability.
Thermal stability of geopolymers reached up to 1000 °C, contrasting with traditional materials.

Abstract

This review synthesizes recent advances in the characterization of eco-friendly cement composites, focusing on hydration kinetics, microstructural evolution, and mechanical durability. Advanced techniques—from isothermal calorimetry to nanoindentation—enable decoding of reaction pathways, mix optimization, and long-term performance prediction. The analysis covers supplementary cementitious materials (fly ash, slag, silica fume), geopolymers, bio-based additives (SNSs, biochar, CNCs, lignosulfonates), and microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP). For each category, key mechanisms are identified, property effects quantified, and microstructural correlations established. SCMs achieve pore refinement and enhanced durability through long-term pozzolanic reactions. Geopolymers exhibit exceptional thermal stability (800–1000 °C) and acid resistance. Fly ash-based geopolymers exhibit chloride diffusion coefficients 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than ordinary Portland cement (OPC), though slag-based systems show more moderate improvements due to their different pore structure and higher calcium content. Bio-based additives enable accelerated hydration (SNSs), internal curing and CO2 sequestration (biochar), pore refinement (CNCs), workability enhancement (lignosulfonates), and autonomous crack healing (MICP). Multi-scale characterization is essential for establishing robust structure–property relationships. The review concludes that properly optimized eco-friendly cement composites offer viable pathways toward sustainable construction with reduced carbon footprint, enhanced durability, and extended service life. This review is novel in its systematic comparison of hydration kinetics, microstructural evolution, and mechanical performance across three distinct classes of eco-friendly additives (SCMs, geopolymers, and bio-based materials), with particular emphasis on the complementarity of advanced characterization techniques—an aspect that has received limited attention in previous reviews.

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