Integration of recycled waste paper with phase change material in building enclosure

Abstract

In this work, the use of recycled waste paper (RWP) in weight ratios of 25 %, 50 %, and 75 %, with phase change material (PCM) within polyvinyl chloride (PVC) panels was investigated experimentally as inner cladding for buildings. Five identical prototype rooms were built in Baghdad City (33.31° N latitude, 44.45° E longitude), the tests were done on the 21st of July 2022 with a minimum and maximum range of climate conditions by 30 °C and 41.1 °C of outdoor temperature, 10 % and 22 % of outdoor humidity, and 1.3 m/s and 5.2 m/s outdoor wind speed. Integration of PCM with 75 % of RWP within PVC panels resulted in enhancement by 7 % of the acoustical insulation, and reductions in the required of cooling load and electricity cost by 19 % and 16.3 % respectively, compared with filled panels by PCM only. Experimental results showed that these combinations of new insulation materials in buildings provided good acoustic and thermal insulation, and contributed to the reduction in the buildings' cooling and heating load.