Construction / Asphalt

Biochar for Asphalt: A Carbon-Negative Paving Additive

A biochar additive for asphalt producers and paving contractors looking to cut embodied carbon and improve high-temperature performance, engineered and lab tested to your mix.

Carbon-negative asphalt paving using Element Biocarbon
Carbon NegativeADDITIVE
2.4 Tons CO2SEQUESTERED PER TON OF BIOCHAR
Lower VOCsREDUCED EMISSIONS DURING PRODUCTION
Tailored SizingMATCHED TO YOUR APPLICATION
The Opportunity

Paving Carries Real Embodied Carbon. DOTs Are Watching.

Asphalt and paving materials carry significant embodied carbon, and DOTs, contractors, and infrastructure owners are under growing pressure to bring it down. Biochar offers a way to lower that footprint while improving certain performance characteristics of the finished pavement rather than trading them away.

2.4
tons of CO2 sequestered for every ton of biochar used in your mix.
Why Element

A Carbon-Negative Additive Built for the Road

01

Carbon-Negative Pavement

Every ton of biochar used sequesters roughly 2.4 tons of CO2, turning pavement into a long-term carbon sink.

02

Integrates With Your Process

Blends into your existing binder or aggregate process. We work with your team to confirm dosage and application for your specific mix.

03

Support Where You Need It

Share your performance and emissions targets, and we’ll assist with dosage guidance and application testing.

04

Built for the Heat

Biochar’s porous structure stiffens the binder, improving resistance to rutting and deformation at high pavement temperatures.

How It Works

From America’s Forests to Your Paving Mix

We’re utilizing America’s forests and the power of photosynthesis to pull carbon out of the atmosphere, then locking it in place for the life of the pavement.

1

Trees Capture It

As forests grow, trees pull CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it as carbon in wood and biomass.

2

Our Process Stabilizes It

A proprietary process converts that biomass into biochar, locking the carbon into a stable form that won’t decompose or off-gas.

3

Pavement Locks It In

Once blended in, that stabilized carbon stays sequestered in the pavement for its service life, turning a road into a carbon sink.

Scale

Built to Scale, Anywhere Asphalt Is Paved

Biochar is made from readily available biomass, forestry and agricultural residues found in nearly every region of the world. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the U.S. alone can sustainably supply more than a billion tons of biomass a year. That same type of feedstock exists globally, which means production isn’t limited to a single country or supply chain, it can scale to millions of tons and be added into asphalt wherever paving happens.

1B+
tons of biomass the U.S. alone can sustainably supply every year, per the U.S. Department of Energy, with similar feedstocks available worldwide.
What We Supply

A Raw Material Partner, Not a Finished Product

We supply bulk biochar. You keep full control over your own binder and mix design.

Formulation

Tailored Particle Size

Biochar is sized and processed to match your specific application, from a fine bitumen modifier to a coarser aggregate-like additive.

Reliability

Consistent Supply

Quality-checked from bag to truckload, with sizing tailored to your binder or aggregate specification.

Lab

Dosage & Application Testing

Our in-house lab works alongside your team to test dosage rates against your performance and climate requirements.

View our Products page →

Lab Tested, Engineered With Your Team

Pavement performance depends on your specific mix design, climate, and traffic loads. We work directly with your team to test dosage and application against your specs before it goes into production, contact us to start a trial.

FAQ

Common Questions From Producers

Is biochar asphalt carbon negative?

Yes. Biochar is carbon negative, and once blended into asphalt, that carbon stays locked in the pavement for the life of the material.

Will biochar affect pavement performance?

Biochar can impact performance. It’s important to verify against your own specifications and geographic and climate constraints before scaling up.

Does it require new equipment?

Typically no, it blends into your existing binder or aggregate process. We test dosage and application together to confirm it fits your specific mix and equipment.

Can you tailor it to my mix?

Yes. We size and process biochar to match your binder or aggregate application, and work with your team on dosage and application testing. You keep control of the final mix.

Let’s Build the Future Together

Talk to our team about tailoring a carbon-negative additive to your paving mix and performance targets.

Contact Us