Abstract
Housing construction consumes more materials than any other economic activity, with a total of 40.6 Gt/year. Boards are placed between construction materials to serve as non-load-bearing partitions. Studies have been performed to find alternatives to conventional materials using recycled fibers, agro-industrial waste, and protein binders as raw materials. Here, fire-resistant cellulose boards with low density and adequate flexural strength were produced for use as non-load-bearing partitions using waste newspapers, soy protein, boric acid, and borax. A central composite design was employed to study the influence of the board component percentage on flame retardancy (UL 94 horizontal burning test), density (ASTM D1037–12), and flexural strength (ISO 178–2010). The cellulose boards were characterized by thermal analysis (ASTM E1131–14) and scanning electron microscopy. Fire-resistant cellulose boards were successfully made with low densities (120–170 kg/m3) and flexural strength (0.06–0.64 MPa). The mechanical performance and fire resistance of cellulose boards suggest their suitability for use as building materials. A useful and sustainable construction material with great potential is produced with the valorization of waste materials. Graphic abstract
Highlights
Housing is an unsustainable industry, consuming approximately 44% of the globally extracted resources, which represents more resource input than any other economic activity
Fire-resistant cellulose boards with low density and adequate flexural strength were produced for use as non-load-bearing partitions using waste newspapers, soy protein, boric acid, and borax
Boric acid and borax are classified by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) as repro-toxic (Category 1B with the hazard statement of H360FD) in the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, this same agency allows its use in building and construction work (ECHA) and there are companies which supply borates for urbanization applications (p.ex., U.S Borax - Rio Tinto)
Summary
Housing is an unsustainable industry, consuming approximately 44% of the globally extracted resources, which represents more resource input than any other economic activity (de Wit et al 2019). To develop environmentally-friendly boards, several studies have been carried out to find alternative raw materials for this application. Among these alternative raw materials, cellulose-rich materials, such as recycled fibers and agricultural waste, in combination with natural-based binders have received particular attention as construction materials due to their eco-friendly nature and favorable thermal and acoustic properties. Boric acid and borax are classified by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) as repro-toxic (Category 1B with the hazard statement of H360FD) in the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, this same agency allows its use in building and construction work (ECHA) and there are companies which supply borates for urbanization applications (p.ex., U.S Borax - Rio Tinto). Recent results based on epidemiological studies give support for a downclassification of boric acid from the referred category (Duydu et al 2016)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
