Circular Economy: Upcycling Wood Byproducts from the Azores into Building Insulation Material

Abstract

The promise of transforming wastes from the Azores into building materials is the focus of this research. The insulation properties of some of these materials can be advantageous to the building construction sector. These materials are upcycled into non-structural components of the building such as panels for ceilings and walls as a factor to control thermal comfort economically. In this paper, insulation panels using cryptomeria waste from the carpentry industry were developed and experimentally evaluated in terms of conductivity for further study of their thermal properties, as well as life cycle analysis. Sodium silicate was used as a primary binding material along with these treated materials. The different composite panels made from the waste and surplus materials are expected to be analysed in Test cells that are built in Azores using this together with other wastes available in the region. These panels will be tested for longer periods in these test cells subjected to the local climatic conditions. The results of thermal conductivity are promising for the two composites sampled.