Abstract
Noise pollution has been identified as a cause of a broad spectrum of diseases, motivating researchers to identify building materials capable of attenuating this pollution. The most common solution is the use of gypsum boards, which show a good response for low frequencies but have a poorer response for high frequencies. In addition, due to environmental concerns associated with buildings, the use of materials that minimize environmental impacts must be favored. In this research, two biopolymers, a poly(lactic) acid and a bio-polyethylene, were filled with two typologies of calcium carbonate, and their soundproofing properties were tested using impedance tubes. In addition, the morphology of the fillers was characterized, and here we discuss its impact on the mechanical properties of the composites. The results showed that the incorporation of calcium carbonate into bio-based thermoplastic materials can represent a strong alternative to gypsum, because their mechanical properties and sound barrier performance are superior. In addition, the inclusion of mineral fillers in thermoplastic materials has a positive impact on production costs, in addition to preserving the advantages of thermoplastics in terms of processing and recycling. Although the use of carbonate calcium decreases the mechanical properties of the materials, it enables the production of materials with insulation that is four-fold higher than that of gypsum. This demonstrates the potential of these materials as building lightweight solutions.
Highlights
Oil-based polymers have shown their value in a multitude of industrial sectors, such as automotive, construction and building, or product design
In the case of ground calcium carbonate (GCC), 25.98% of the particles exhibited a size below 1 mm, whereas in the case of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), this percentage accounted for 20.09%
GCC powder exhibited a higher presence of larger particles than in the case of PCC, which may become detached from the matrix when the material is under load
Summary
Oil-based polymers have shown their value in a multitude of industrial sectors, such as automotive, construction and building, or product design Such materials can be transformed into ready-to-use components at an affordable cost, while adding properties such as shape, color, or texture, which require a variety of processes for other materials. These polymers usually depend on a non-renewable resource and, due to growing environmental concerns, their use is becoming restricted. Among bio-based polymers, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has attracted significant attention of researchers [5,6] This polymer is renewable and biodegradable, and, mainly due to its mechanical properties, is foreseen as a potential alternative to commodities and even some technical polymers [7]. Several efforts have been undertaken to decrease this brittleness, mainly using blending with other polymers or copolymerization strategies [13,14]
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