Emerging 3D printed thermal insulating materials for sustainable approach: A review and a way forward

Abstract

AbstractThermal insulating materials are such materials that do not allow the movement of heat through themselves. The material must have lower thermal conductivity to work efficiently as an insulator. Conventionally glass wool, calcium silicates, concrete, and processed wood particle boards are well‐known thermal insulators used for construction purposes. The thermal conductivity of glass wool is near about ~0.02–0.04 W/mK, and calcium silicates are also around ~0.08 W/mK. In contrast to these fabrication techniques, 3D printing or additive manufacturing has emerged as the most in‐demand fabrication method. The scope of versatility in shapes, design, dimension, and finish that 3D printing yields are enormous, and their performance is significantly comparable and, in some cases, better than conventionally prepared materials. 3D printing includes various methods such as FDM, SLA, SLS, DIW, and so on. Recent literature has shown the fabrication of thermally insulating material using raw materials like silk fiber, fly ash, cement, polymer composite, metal oxides, and so on, through additive manufacturing. These materials have very low thermal conductivity, as low as 0.03–0.08 W/mK for SLA and DIW printed silivoxel, cellulose nanocrystals composites having 0.08–0.09 W/mK and 0.04 for PU and cork composites. The low thermal conductivity values indicate their possible and efficient application as thermal insulators.