Abstract
Although many advanced insulation materials have been recently developed, very few are eco-friendly and their production requires a substantial amount of energy and complex manufacturing processes. To address this issue, a bio-based thermal insulation material was developed using short- and long-grained puffed rice. A set of experiments was subsequently carried out to identify the best rice type and the optimal range for the most influential parameters (sample amount, temperature, and moisture level). Our findings revealed that short-grained rice exhibited greater puffing ability and was thus adopted in further material optimization experiments. These assessments indicated that the most optimal thermal conductivity of the insulation material and the highest puffing ratio was attained at 12–15% moisture, 260–270 °C temperature, and 15–18 g sample weight. The thermal properties, including thermal conductivity and fire reaction, and thermal performance of samples obtained using these parameters were similar to those of common insulation materials.
Highlights
Energy consumption is typically lowered by adopting effective insulation strategies
Applying effective insulation strategies has the potential to reduce energy expenditure, preserving natural resources such as petroleum and gas reserves used for power generation [1]
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts, by 2025, the energy consumption worldwide is expected to increase by 50% due to the significant increase in industrial and urban activities related to intensive economic development and a dramatic increase in population size [3,4,5]
Summary
Energy consumption is typically lowered by adopting effective insulation strategies. This is important in residential buildings, where extensive amounts of energy are utilized daily for heating and cooling in order to ensure thermal comfort. Applying effective insulation strategies has the potential to reduce energy expenditure, preserving natural resources such as petroleum and gas reserves used for power generation [1]. Owing to the continued increase in energy consumption and rapidly escalating climate change, the pressure to find sustainable alternatives to nonrenewable energy resources is growing [2]. To reduce the energy consumption in newly designed buildings, improving energy efficiency is essential and can be achieved by using systems that optimize energy utilization and dissipation [6]
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