Thermal performance of starch/beet-pulp composite bricks for building insulation at a wall scale

Abstract

This paper aims to study the thermal performance at wall scale of hollowed bricks made of starch/beet-pulp bio-composites identified as a potent solution for the development of sustainable, non-load bearing, insulation materials to be used in the construction sector. Numerical studies on thermal resistance using the COMSOL software were conducted to study the characteristics of optimal hollowed brick pattern. The numerical study results were then compared with thermal resistance calculations based on the NF EN ISO norm 6946 (2017). In a later stage, an experimental 1 m x 1 m wall made of starch/beet-pulp composite bricks and binder was built. Experimental studies on the thermal resistance and thermal imaging were carried out on the wall inserted in a bi-climatic chamber showing only a 3 °C change of the surface temperature of the wall on the one side after applying a 23 °C temperature difference on the other side for 7 h. The equivalent thermal resistances were obtained equal to 1.180 m2. K/W, 1.218 m2. K/W, 1.10 m2. K/W respectively as described previously which reflected a good agreement between the numerical and experimental results.Finally, the obtained results reflected the high thermal performance of the studied starch/beet-pulp composites.