Study on sisal fibres as insulator in building materials: Review

Abstract

Developing sustainable and environmental-friendly buildings is a common motivation for engineers and researchers towards a green, clean, and resilient world for all. The problem arising from excess waste disposal from non-biodegradable materials have recently raised concerns from governments, researchers and industrial sectors on the usage and disposal of these types of synthetic materials. One of the approaches ventured is the use of renewable materials that are biodegradable when they are no longer required. Such materials are commonly plant based. This is due to their renewability and abundance. However, it cannot be ignored that natural fibres derived from plants are susceptible to moisture, thermal, and microorganism degradation . Therefore, immense efforts are required to sufficiently study the performance of natural fibres as building materials before they can fully replace synthetic fibres. This study is motivated by the need to expand the knowledge on the use of natural fibres in the construction industry. Specifically, this study will focus on the effect of heat conductivity of gypsum panels reinforced with natural fibres. The developed material may contribute to the improvement of thermal insulation properties of building panels.