TENTATIVE RESEARCH TOPIC:

DEVELOPMENT OF THERMAL AND ACOUSTIC INSULATION FROM ORGANIC

WASTEPRODUCTS

Title: HEAT INSULATION MATERIALS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT

Author/s: Evgeniia Utochkina

Focus of the Reseach/Journal: The aim of the thesis was to do an objective

opinion how different insulation manufacturers promote their products from
environmental point of view. The main heat insulation materials are thoroughly
discussed which include in this thesis are glass wool, stone wool, cellulose, PIR
and PUR, EPS and XPS.

Method: The methodology is based on conduct competitive analysis and shows

the main market indices, the arguments from environmental aspect and the main
characteristics of demand.

Limitations: No exploration of new insulation materials and only focused on the

materials available on the market

Conclusion:

It stated that the modern market is saturated with products that claim to be
"environmentally friendly». Industry insulation materials include a number of
medium and big companies, as well as hundreds of smaller producers. In a
larger organization the advantage can be strong corporate governance, which
monitors the market requirements, but small organizations do not. It is obvious
that in the confusion around the environmentally friendly building some
manufacturers of insulation materials are exaggerating, perhaps unconsciously, the
ecological purity of their products.

Title: Unconventional Insulation Materials

Author/s: Neşe Dikmen and Soofia Tahira Elias Ozkan

Focus of the Research/Journal: Materials obtained from petrochemicals (mainly
polystyrene) or from natural sources processed with high-energy consumptions
such as glass and rock wools are commonly utilized for the insulation of
buildings. From the perspective of sustainable development, it is important to
choose easily recyclable, renewable, locally available and environmentally friendly
raw materials. Thermal performance of unconventional insulation materials such as
pine apple leaves, wheat straw, rice straw, rice husk/hull, coconut fibre, bagasse,
date palm fiber, cellulose fiber-forestry waste, corn cob and sheep wool were
investigated for this study.

Method : Experimentation of thermal performance om different materials used in Eco-

Centee at Turkey for insulation purposes

Conclusion: Thermal conductivity value of each of the materials are comparable

to that of conventional and popular insulation materials being used by the
construction industry worldwide

Title: A review of unconventional sustainable building insulation materials

Author/s: Francesco Asdrubali , Francesco D'Alessandrob,Samuele Schiavoni

Focus of the Research/Journal: To fully investigate insulation products made of

natural or recycled materials that are not or scarcely commercialized in which the
production stage is not detrimental in the environment.

Method: Comparative analyses were carried out considering in particular thermal

characteristics in terms of thermal conductivity, specific heat and density.

Conclusion: Some of the investigated materials are characterized by performance

similar to commercial ones. Concerning thermal issues, an example is given by a
recycled cotton insulator having density and thermal conductivity comparable to EPS,
XPS and sheep wool. However the majority of the investigated materials are not
completely characterized. As far as thermal properties, thermal conductivity is always
reported but data about specific heat is often missing. The latter data is crucial for the
evaluation of thermal dynamic properties. Concerning sound absorption and insulation
materials, reliable data are available only for a small number of products.

Title: Characterization of thermal insulation materials developed with crop

wastes and natural binders

Author/s: Mariana Palumbo, Antonia Navarro, Jaume Avellaneda, Ana Maria

Lacasta

Focus of the Research/Journal: Discuss the possibility of developing insulation

materials for the construction sector made of non-industrial crop wastes and
natural binders. Three different crop wastes widely available in Spain, namely
barley straw, corn pith and rice husk, are used in the production of experimental
insulation panels. Their thermal behavior, equilibrium moisture content and water
vapor permeability are assessed in order to determine their suitability as a
construction insulation material.

Method: Experimental Sampling in the materials and binders and use of electronic
thermal analyser, QuicklineTM-30, based on the ASTM D5930 standard, at room
conditions.

Conclusion: Results for thermal conductivity are acceptable for insulation

materials as they are comparable to wood fibre boards, even if they are higher
than other commercially available insulation materials such as mineral wools or
EPS.

Title: Bio-based insulation materials and their hygrothermal performance in a

building envelope system (ETICS)

Author/s: M. Palumbo, A. M. Lacasta, M. P. Giraldo, L. Haurie, E. Correal

Focus of the Research/Journal: The evaluation of hygrothermal performance of two

different bio-based insulation materials in outdoor condition.
Method: The thermal conductivity and diffusivity were measured using a
Quickline-30 Electronic Thermal Properties Analyser (based on ASTM D5930
standard) with a surface probe. The hygrothermal behaviour of the materials were
investigated with dynamic tests. A set up was designed where one specimen of
each material was introduced in a climatic chamber pre-set to fulfil cycles in
which temperature and relative humidity shifted.

Conclusion: The results of the dynamic hygrothermal test show that when
subjected to cyclic changes in temperature and humidity, the bio-based materials
experience a slower temperature change at the core of the sample than EPS.

Title: Analysis of different typologies of natural insulation materials with

economic and performances evaluation of the same in building

Author/s: Umberto Desideria, Daniela Leonardib, Livia Arcionic

Focus of the Research/Journal: Analyze the natural insulation materials present

on the Italian building market, where for “natural” it is meant the ones that are
derived from renewable materials, which emit no pollutants and that are
recyclable or biodegradable. Then create a database which highlights the physical
and thermohygrometrical characteristics (density, conductivity, specific heat, vapor
permeability, etc.), as well as the possible applications (ceiling, wall, roof).

Method: A residential building located in the municipality of Perugia was assessed in

energetic terms by using the software MC4. The objective was to carry out an economic
and efficiency assessment of the selected building realized with conventional insulation
materials in comparison with the same building constructed by using natural insulation.

Conclusion: The economic assessment of ecologically sustainable materials show

that, as expected, their utilization involves a cost increase, when considering an
equal thermal performance of a building’s envelope. In particular, the percentage
increase in the cost per square meter, compared to the XPS cost, was more
important for some insulation typologies, such as wood wool with mineral binders
(up to a maximum increase of 189% for the roof), coir fiber (up to a maximum
increase of 209% for the roof) and cork (up to a maximum increase of 121% for
the roof). In particular, for wood, wool, and mineral binders, the increase in cost
is due to the considerable increase in thickness which is necessary to achieve
the same insulation performances of XPS, while the considerable increase for
cork and coir fiber is caused by the high cost per square meter of the
insulations, considering an equal thickness.

Title: Development and performance evaluation of natural thermal-insulation

materials composed of renewable resources

Author/s: Azra Korjenica,, Vít Petránekb, Jiˇrí Zachb, Jitka Hroudová

Focus of the Research/Journal: Use jute, flax, and hemp to develop a new insulating
material from renewable resources with comparable building physics and mechanical
properties to commonly used insulations materials

Method:

 The determination of bulk density was carried out on test specimens dried at
105◦C by the gravimetric method. Exact dimensions of test specimens were
measured with accuracy to0.1 mm.
 Determination of mechanical properties
 The stress at 10% deformation was determined on test spec-imens 200 mm ×
200 mm slabs. The test was carried outaccording to EN 826 “Thermal insulating
products for buildingapplications – Compression test”
 The determination of the thermal conductivity coefficient wascarried out in a
steady state using the slab method. Measure-ments were made using the
Lambda 2300 measuring device, byHolometrix Micromet Inc., USA, operating on
the principle of thestationary slab method at a mean temperature of +10◦C and
tem-perature gradient of 10 K
Conclusion: Thermal insulations made from natural raw materials are likely to become
a suitable alternative to commonly used boards made from different materials (mineral
wool, polystyrene or polyurethane). Measurements showed that properties of insulating
board from organic fibers are fully comparable to common insulating boards made from
other materials

Title: A review and evaluation of thermal insulation materials and methods for
thermal energy storage systems

Author/s: Willy Villasmil⁎, Ludger J. Fischer, Jörg Worlitschek

Focus of Research/Journal: Two different methods for insulating TES systems that
are either incorporated inside residential buildings or buried underground in direct
vicinity of the building are reviewed and discussed. Boundary conditions are storage
volumes in the range 10 –1000m3 and storage temperatures up to 90°C. The first
method involves the application of thermal insulation materials on the outside of the
storage. Thermophysical properties and costs of conventional materials (such as
mineral wools and organic foams) are compared against those of state-of-the-art
products such as vacuum insulation panels and aerogels.

Method: Parametric comparative analysis is conducted to evaluate the combined costs

of thermal insulation and living space occupied by the thermal insulation for TES
systems integrated inside buildings

Conclusion: Thermal energy storage systems are typically insulated using

conventional materials such as mineral wools due to their reliability, ease of installation,
and low cost. The main drawback of these materials is their relatively high thermal
conductivity, which results in a large insulation thickness.

Title: Development of Thermal Insulating Materials on Natural Base for Thermal

Insulation Systems
Author/s: Jiří Zacha, Jitka Hroudováb, Jiří Brožovskýc, Zdeněk Krejzad, Albinas
Gailiuse

Focus of the Research: The paper deals with the possibility of modifying of thermal
insulation materials based on technical hemp with a view to reducing water absorption
and hygroscopicity.

Method: determination of length and width ; determination of thickness ;determination

of mass density ;determination of short-term absorbability ;determination of hygroscopic
sorption moisture ;determination of thermal conductivity

Conclusion: The application of hydrophobic agents reduced the rate of degradation

regarding the thermal insulation properties of insulators (except for the samples treated
with the sol-gel method). The increase in the value of thermal conductivity when
exposed to moisture (as opposed to the dried-up state) decreased (in case of samples:
H6, T6, LUK, DR and TG) from 43% to 31 – 34%

Title: Building integrated solar thermal design: assessment of performances of a

low cost solar wall in a typical Italian building

Author/s: Marco Beccalia, Giuliana Leonea, Paola Caputob, Simone Ferrarib

Focus of the Research/Journal: Proposes a method for evaluating the yearly

performance of a low cost BIST by means of a Trnsys model on a reference building.
This model arises from previous studies based on experimental validation of a FEM
model that was implemented in order to describe the collector-wall system efficiency.

Method: Assess building energy balance in a typical Italian building while integrating
a solar air collector system in the south façade as an energy refurbishment measure

Conclusion: Overall performance of the system is affected by the transient response

of building to hourly shift of climatic conditions. Present work shows that the BIST
positively affects the yearly energy balance in climate where heating demand is
prevalent: reduction of heating demand are always higher than the rise of cooling
demand.
Title: Corn’s cob as a potential ecological thermal insulation material

Author/s: Jorge Pintoa,b, Anabela Paivaa,b,c, Humberto Varumd, Ana Costaa, Daniel
Cruza, Sandra Pereiraa, Lisete Fernandese, Pedro Tavaresf, Jitendra Agarwalg

Focus of the Research/Journal: To show that corn’s cob, an agricultural waste, has
the potential to be used as a sustainable building material for thermal insulation

Method: A corn’s cob panel sample of 0.25m×0.25m was fabricated using as molding
an XPS panel, of 0.76m×0.64m, Fig. 8a. Both panels had a thickness of 0.05m. The
panels replaced a window of a roomsized 3.00m×4.00m×2.54m(width×length×height) in
which the temperature was constant of 21.6◦C. In these conditions, the panels worked
as an exterior wall. This model was then tested in terms of thermal behaviour using
thermography. Fig. 8b showsathermogramobtainedintheinterior side of the panels for
the following thermal-hygrometric conditions: interior temperature of 21.6◦C; exterior
temperature of 10.7◦C; relative humidity of 46% (interior and exterior).

Conclusion: The use of corn’s cob,taking simultaneously a role of filling material and a
thermal insulation material, is very likely a lost ancient building technique/solution.

Title: Thermal insulation materials based on agricultural residual wheat straw and
corn husk biomass, for application in sustainable buildings

Author/s: Carlos Rojas , Mara Ceab, Alfredo Iriarte , Gonzalo Valdés , Rodrigo Navia ,
Juan Pablo Cárdenas-R

Focus of the Research/Journal: In this research, block type insulation based on wheat
straw and corn husk residual fibers were developed.

Method: Taguchi method was applied to investigate the effect on thermal conductivity
and density of four control factors in three levels, namely fiber length, boiling time;
NaOH concentration and blending time; in a L-9 orthogonal array. Furthermore, flexural
and compressive stress were determined and compared with expanded polystyrene
block insulation
Conclusion: The results show thermal conductivity values were between 0.046 and
0.047 W/mK. In addition, flexural stress results were good compared to those of the
standard expanded polystyrene type IX

Title: Sustainable acoustic and thermal insulation materials from elastomeric

waste residues

Author/s: H. Benkreiran, A. Khan, K.V. Horoshenkov

Focus of the Research/Journal: This study presents the data elements to develop a
new processing route to transform elastomeric waste residue (particulates)

Method: Experimental method by which the experimental work consisted of the

preparation of the material by mixing the foaming binder with the waste residue then
tested.

Conclusion: Data collected in this research make clearly the link between poro-elastic
structure and acoustic and thermal performance. It was found that by controlling the
amount and molecular weight of the polyol, material structures could be made soft or
rigid and with open or closed cells.

Title : Development and performance evaluation of a new thermalinsulation

material from rice straw using high frequency hot-pressing

Author/s : Wei, Chenglong Lv, Minzhi Chen, Xiaoyan Zhou∗, Zhenyu Dai, Da Shen

Focus of the Research/Journal : A new thermal insulation material made from rice
straw (RSTIB) was developed using high frequency hot pressing. The goal of this study
is to investigate the effect of high frequency heating, board density, particle size and
ambient temperature on the properties of RSTIB.

Method : Rice straw was chipped into particles with lengths of 10–30 mm.To
investigate the effect of high frequency heating on panel prop-erties, the moisture
content (MC) of particles was adjusted to 10,14 and 18%.
Conclusion: New thermal insulation material (RSTIB)from rice straws with a low
density of 200–350 kg/m3, a thickness of 40 mm and the thermal conductivity of 0.051–
0.053 W/(m K) was developed using high frequency hot-pressing. It could be used as a
component of construction material as wall or ceiling insulation for energy conservation.

Title: Mechanical, thermal and acoustical characterizations of an insulation

composite made of bio-based materials

Author/s : Hanifi Binici, Orhan Aksogan, Ceyda Demirhan, Hanifi Binici

Focus of the Research/Journal : The study is related to the development of bio-

based composites and the determination of their thermal, mechanical and
acoustical insulation properties.

Methods: An experimental design was established to study the effect of the

stalk particle size and the epoxy/ corn stalk particle ratio on the thermal and
mechanical properties of the composites prepared. Their mechanical properties
and thermal performance characteristics are compared with the commercially
available bio-based insulation materials.

Conclusion: The results of this study can solve two industrial problems. One of
them is providing a new useful construction material and the other is utilizing
agricultural wastes to reduce their harm to the environment.