Glass Wool Fibers Research Articles

Thermal removal of binder from waste glass wool intended for recycling

AbstractGlass wool waste constitutes a large amount of waste both in the production process and after the demolition of buildings. The storage of these materials in landfills is associated with their large volume and low mass which results from their low density. Considering the principle of a life cycle assessment, the possibility of recycling this type of waste should be ensured. The basic problem with the recycling process is the removal of the binder that connects the glass wool fibres before returning it to the production process. The paper presents the results of research on the process of heat treatment of glass wool with various temperatures and heating rates. The process of sinter formation and the possibilities of avoiding their formation were analysed. For this purpose, a series of tests in the field of thermal analysis were carried out, in which the temperature ranges in which heat was released were identified. Furthermore, a series of tests were carried out on cube samples with dimensions of 20 × 20 × 20 mm in a chamber furnace. Based on the research conducted, assumptions were developed for the heat treatment process of glass wool waste, which allows the removal of organic substances and prevents the formation of sinters.

Reference Materials for Thermal Conductivity Measurements: European Situation

A reference material (RM), as defined by the International Vocabulary of Metrology (VIM 2012), must be homogeneous, stable, and suitable for use in measurements. Certified reference materials (CRMs) are RMs with documented property values, uncertainties, and traceability. ISO 17034:2018 outlines the requirements for RM producers, ensuring that CRMs meet standards for stability, uniformity, and reproducibility. In Europe, CE marking, from French “conformité Européenne”, which means European conformity, has been mandatory for thermal insulation products since 2002, ensuring their thermal performance is verified by accredited laboratories using RMs like IRMM440 and ERM FC440. Annually, European manufacturers produce over 200 million cubic meters of thermal insulation, necessitating thousands of thermal conductivity measurements daily to maintain CE marking compliance. Key characteristics of Reference Materials include long-term stability, thermal conductivity within specified ranges, and minimal dependence on density, thickness, and applied load. Sample thickness must conform to apparatus specifications, and homogeneity must be quantified. Reference Materials must also have appropriate dimensions, surface smoothness, and manufacturability. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) Geel has produced two Reference Materials, IRMM 440 and ERM FC 440, with specific characteristics to meet these requirements. Both are glass wool fibers with low thermal conductivity and specific density and thickness. The qualification of RMs involves inter-laboratory comparisons to ensure the accuracy and traceability of thermal conductivity measurements. The European market’s organization, including the use of Reference Materials and CE marking, has significantly improved measurement consistency and product quality. This system has led to lower uncertainties in thermal conductivity measurements compared to North America, highlighting the impact of standardized RMs on industry practices. Future needs include developing RMs with lower conductivity and increased thickness to accommodate market trends towards super insulation materials and bio-based components, enhancing energy performance calculations for buildings. This paper will present the process of defining a reference material and how it affects the uncertainty level of the calculation of building energy performance. This level depends on the characteristics of the materials used, their implementation, and external factors, such as the weather, as well as the reference material used for calibration of all European thermal conductivity measurement devices.

Enhancement of porous asphalt mixtures modified with various fibers and ethylene–vinyl acetate polymer

Porous asphalt mixture is conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) with substantially decreased fines, which produces an open-graded mixture that enables the water to flow through an interconnected void space. Porous asphalt is a permeable system that has a lot of benefits. However, because of its open structure, the durability of this mixture decreases, and both its stability and resilient modulus are much lower compared to the dense conventional asphalt mixtures. Also, the high void percentage may lead to an increase in the draindown proportion. Fibers (cellulose or mineral) and polymer-modified binders are recommended for porous asphalt mixtures, especially in hot and moderate climates. The objective of this study is to improve the porous asphalt mixture's performance by using ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer-modified bitumen. Two types of fibers (cellulose fibers and glass wool fibers) were used, separately to determine the control mixture. Four different proportions of EVA polymer were added to the bitumen (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used for better investigating of the bitumen microstructure, then The Marshall mix design was used to determine the optimum EVA content (OEC) for the porous asphalt mixture. Several performance tests were conducted to investigate the characteristics of the porous asphalt mixture, such as the infiltration rate, binder draindown, the wheel track and the cantabro abrasion tests. The findings of the study conclude that the addition of EVA polymer to the porous asphalt mixtures enhances the performance as it increases stability by 20.8% and the infiltration rate by 20.6%. It decreases binder draindown proportion by 33.3%, cantabro abrasion loss by 25.1% and the rut depth at 5,000 cycles and 10,000 cycles by 29.8% and 19.7%, respectively.

Energy efficiency of a house in Mediterranean region: insulation and glazing impact

The insulation of a building's envelope is critical for reducing energy consumption, enhancing indoor thermal comfort, and achieving sustainable development goals. This theoretical work focused on the energy and thermal aspect of insulators and glazing to determine the optimal thermal insulation and the best glazing for the building envelope in the Mediterranean region where the province of Ain Temouchent, Algeria, was taken in this study. This study evaluated the effectiveness of insulation materials, which are expanded polystyrene, glass wool, rock wool, and wood fiber of varying thicknesses, and glazing in the Algerian market. The TRNSYS 17 software is used to simulate the building's behavior. The study finds that wood fiber insulation with a 9 cm thickness provides the best thermal performance, resulting in a 26% reduction in energy costs compared to 3cm of expanded polystyrene. Furthermore, upgrading from single to double glazing can reduce heating and cooling costs by 23% and 10%, respectively, demonstrating the importance of proper insulation and glazing in achieving energy efficiency, and enhancing indoor thermal comfort for occupants. In conclusion, this study provides valuable findings for designing energy-efficient buildings with optimal thermal insulation and glazing. Future research should explore broader factors affecting building performance, such as the long-term performance and durability of materials in varying climates and building designs, as well as the impact of occupancy and building orientation. Although the study acknowledges its limited examination of factors and options, it still provides valuable insights into building performance with insulation and glazing.

A highly efficient supported TiO2 photocatalyst for wastewater remediation in continuous flow

Although TiO2 materials have been extensively studied as photocatalysts, there is not any commercial TiO2-supported photocatalyst used for wastewater remediation. This fact set the goal to synthesize a new supported titanium dioxide photocatalyst which, besides being robust, also has a high reaction surface and a very efficient TiO2 shell thickness. Hence, we present a novel TiO2-supported photocatalyst composed of titania-covered glass wool (GW) fibers decorated with SiO2@TiO2 core-shell spheres. For optimizing the photocatalytic activity of this material, the surface of SiO2 microspheres, as well as, the highly mechanically resistant GW fibers, were covered by a robust titania layer of ca. 20–30 nm of thickness. This layer contains nanometric crystals, ca. 12 nm in size, linked to each other and to the surfaces of both SiO2 microspheres and GW. An exhaustive characterization of the physicochemical properties of this new SiO2-TiO2 composite was performed to confirm the SiOTi linkage and the anatase crystal phase. The photocatalytic activity was initially evaluated in batch through the photodegradation of Methylene Blue as a standard dye. Afterward, the addition of the new photocatalyst in a solid phase stationary (SPS) photoreactor coupled to a TOC detector allowed studying in situ the mineralization of the recalcitrant pollutant phenol under a continuous flow regime. Results revealed that the optimized TiO2 surface of the SiO2-TiO2 composite produced the complete mineralization of phenol in less than three minutes. Even more, it was demonstrated that this photocatalyst is suitable for the industrial scale-up of wastewater treatment because it does not leach titania, its reuse does not require filtration procedures, and it can be easily implemented in SPS photoreactors at plant scale. In this context, the new material could be a good starting point to prepare other supported photocatalysts for wastewater remediation.

Initial evaluation of USP apparatus 4 for measuring dissolution profile of man-made vitreous fibers

We report the successful evaluation of a US Pharmacopeia Apparatus 4 (USP-4) system in measuring the dissolution profiles of man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF)11Man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF) is the terminology commonly used in the European Union to refer to mineral wool fibers, it is also the terminology used in the classification entries for these materials in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures as the term synthetic vitreous fibers (SVF) is also used in literature and other jurisdictions to refer to mineral wool fibers.. Glass and stone wool fibers with different (high- and low-) solubility profiles were tested in closed-loop configuration using a sodium/potassium phosphate buffer solution or an acetate buffer, respectively. Results confirm a need to operate in diluted conditions to avoid silicon saturation in the simulant solution and suppression of fiber dissolution. A clear fiber-to-fiber differentiation with good cell-to-cell reproducibility was achieved. These findings support the continued development of a USP-4 protocol for MMVF in vitro acellular testing.

P07-03: Are glass and stone mineral wool fibers used for the insulation skin and eye irritant?

P07-03: Are glass and stone mineral wool fibers used for the insulation skin and eye irritant?

Enhancing the hydrophobicity of the mineral wool through surface modification with organo-silane

Mineral wool materials are consistently preferred material to be used for building thermal insulation because of their low heat conductivity, making energy-efficient structures impossible to construct without highly insulating thermal envelopes. A mineral wool with a hydrophobic external surface could be used for several applications where hydrophobicity would be helpful. Organo-silanes are one of the most promising materials to impart hydrophobic character to varied surfaces to achieve performance properties such as dust-resistant coatings on building glass, solar panels with self-cleaning surfaces, biofouling resistant paints, self-cleaning car windshields etc. In this study, mineral wool was treated with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) to achieve hydrophobic surfaces.A Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer is used to confirm the successful deposition of organosilane/siloxane networks on glass wool fibre surfaces. The hydrophobicity of treated wool was assessed and quantified using a contact angle measurement. Contact angle measurement was used to quantify the hydrophobicity of treated wool. The thermal conductivity of treated mineral wool fiber was calculated using the portable Lee's disc method. To determine the thermal stability and crystallinity of the treated wool, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were used, respectively. The treated mineral wool exhibited excellent thermal stability up to 800 °C, and wettability tests proved the treated surface highly hydrophobic, allowing water droplets to roll off with contact angles up to 134.9°. Surface modification reduced thermal conductivity by 20%, showing good thermal resistance. Here, we show easy and sustainable methods of treating mineral wool surfaces, which can serve as a thermal insulation option under humid conditions.

Glass wool reinforced FBG for wide dynamic range of temperature measurement

A novel wide dynamic range of temperature sensors based on a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) is presented and experimentally demonstrated. The FBG sensor head is reinforced with borosilicate glass wool fiber (BGWF) and housed in a 4 mm quartz tube. BGWF-reinforced FBG sensors with a dynamic temperature range of 1270 °C from −170 °C to 1100 °C have been demonstrated. Further, the thermal expansion and correlation coefficients are calculated from high-temperature measurements to be 11.46 pm/°C and 0.99677, respectively. In the 12 Hr stability test, BGWF-reinforced FBG sensors show excellent stability, the same as thermocouples. We believe this paper will lay a foundation for researching and designing new FBG sensors to measure extreme temperature conditions.

Influence of glass wool fiber reinforcement and heat resistant coating on behavior of self-compacting mortar at elevated temperatures

In present study, the influence of glass wool fiber (GWF) reinforcements and the application of heat resistant paint has been studied on the performance of self-compacting mortar (SCM) at ambient condition and at elevated temperatures of 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C. Sixteen mix designs were prepared for SCM (with 25% fly ash) using GWF reinforcement of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and varying the effective water to cement (w/c) ratio as; 0.43, 0.49, 0.55, and 0.70. The intrusion of GWF resulted into decrease in slump flow and v-funnel flow speed, increase in yield stress and plastic viscosity, whereas, the influence of effective w/c ratio on rheology of fresh SCM mix was opposite to glass wool fiber (GWF). For all variation of effective w/c ratio and GWF reinforcements, the values of slump flow and v-funnel flow were within the EFNARC limits. Increasing GWF reinforcement and the effective w/c ratio, compressive strength of SCM were decreased, but GWF yielded positive impact on flexural strength. SCM with 1% GWF reinforcements showed best result at effective w/c of 0.43, imparting highest flexural strength of 8.7 MPa. The application of heat resistant coating has shown a significant protection to SCM samples up to the maximum heating temperature of 800 °C by limiting the loss of mechanical strength within small percentage, whereas, the loss of mechanical strength was severe (about 45% to 65%) for uncoated samples. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis of SCM powder revealed the thermal stability of SCM mix up to 1000 °C and the mass loss occurred correspond to the heating at temperature of 400 °C and 800 °C was 0.3%, and 7.5%, respectively.

Characterization of Microstructure in Glass Wool Insulation Using Micro X-ray CT

We investigate microstructures of three insulation samples made of glass wool fiber with low to high density through X-ray Computed Tomography. Analysis results indicate that the volume fraction of fibers increases linearly with increasing bulk density, and thermal conductivity decreases nonlinearly with increasing volume fraction of fibers. In addition, the insulation samples have nonuniform structures, particularly for the low-density sample, showing that the average local volume fraction of fibers in one layer varies up to two times. The sample with the highest density exhibits a more distinct layered structure than the other two relatively low-density samples.

Study on mechanical properties and microstructural analysis of glass wool fiber, silicon added epoxy hybrid composite

Now a days composite materials hardness value is increase is very difficult but in industrial applications need to increase the highest hardness value, The mechanical characteristics of Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes with epoxy with nano composites at 1.0 wt%, 1.5 wt%, and 2.0 wt% of weight rated with 120 GSM, 400 GSM, and 450 GSM of glass wool fibre were investigated in this work. The novelty of this research work has added the nano silicon powder particles at the time stirring the epoxy resin. And the test specimens were manufactured according to ASTM standards for tensile testing, impact testing, and flexural testing: ASTM D638 for tensile testing, ASTM D256 for impact testing, and ASTM D790 for flexural testing. In comparison to other GSM reinforced nano composites, 1.5 wt% MWCNTs at 450 GSM exhibits greater tensile, impact, and flexural values, according to this experimental investigation.

Super Proton Conductive Nafion/Short Fiber/Nanosilica/Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) Composite Membrane for Application in Anhydrous Fuel Cells

AbstractThe aim of present study is to reduce the tortuosity of proton conductive pathways within the polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) for application in anhydrous PEM fuel cells. For this purpose, for the first time, microsize chopped fibers (modified glass wool fibers), modified nanosilica, and a deep eutectic solvent (DES) are incorporated into the Nafion matrix to extend proton conductive pathways. The long length of the fibers as new and cheap additives creates a continuous interface within the polymer matrix which significantly improves its proton conductivity, likely by reducing the tortuosity of proton conductive pathways. While nanosilica promotes the connectivity of the short fibers, EG/NaBr‐based DES is also used as a nonaqueous electrolyte to maintain proton conductivity at anhydrous conditions. The measurements show super proton conductivity beyond 1400 mS cm−1 at 100 °C and anhydrous conditions for the Nafion/DES composite membrane containing 5 wt% short fibers and 2 wt% nanosilica. Furthermore, fuel cell performance of the prepared membranes shows a promising result by providing a maximum power density of 715 mW cm−2 at 95 °C. This study clearly shows the important role of ionic paths within the PEMs to achieve desirable properties in the real condition of a fuel cell system.

Sustainable Sound Absorber from Nonwoven Fabric of Natural Biduri Fibers (Calotropis gigantea) with Polyester Binder

ABSTRACT In recent years, the research on sound-absorbing material has been directed to sustainable materials such as kenaf fiber and coconut coir fiber. Herein, this study offers the acoustic absorption performance of a novel natural fiber that is biduri fiber (Calotropis gigantea). Biduri fiber is a cellulose fiber that has a low density and a hollow structure along the fiber; hence, it has potential for sound absorption. Biduri fibers were thermally bonded with polyester fibers into nonwoven fabric. The sound absorption coefficient was measured using an impedance tube system, according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 10534-2:1998. The nonwoven fabric effectively absorbed high-frequency sound (2000–5000 Hz). The absorption coefficient reached 0.95 at 1600 Hz for nonwoven fabric with 95 wt.% of biduri fibers, a density of 25.9 kg m−3, and a thickness of 15–21 mm, which was better than glass wool and several natural fibers. Nonwoven fabrics with a thickness of 15–21 mm and ≥80 wt.% of biduri fibers met Indonesian National Standard 8443:2017 for high- and low-frequency sound silencers. Using the approximate relationship of the absorption coefficient between normal and random incidence sound, it was found that those nonwoven fabrics were categorized as class B sound-absorbing material according to ISO 11654:1997.

Wear Rate Behavior of Unsaturated Polyester Reinforced with (Glass and Rock Wool Fiber) under the Influence of Chemical Solutions

In this research, the adhesive wear of a composite material consisting of unsaturated polyester has been studied as a matrix material reinforced by glass fiber and rock wool fibers. The wear rate property is compared in the normal condition and after immersion in (NaOH) and (HCl) solutions at normality (0.3N) and the laboratory temperature (25 oC) for 30 (days) and with a fixed volume fraction of (20%). The results showed that the wear rate decreased with increasing number of reinforcement layers before and after immersion and for all samples. However, it is noted that immersion in chemical solutions leads to an increase in wear rate compared that of the normal condition and for all samples.

Utilizing Zirconium MOF-functionalized Fiber Substrates Prepared by Molecular Layer Deposition for Toxic Gas Capture and Chemical Warfare Agent Degradation.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous organic‐inorganic solids extensively explored for numerous applications owing to their catalytic activity and high surface area. In this work MOF thin films deposited in a one‐step, molecular layer deposition (MLD), an all‐gas‐phase process, on glass wool fibers are characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and their capabilities towards toxic industrial chemical (TIC) capture and chemical warfare agents (CWA) degradation are investigated. It is shown that despite low volume of the active material used, MOFs thin films are capable of removal of harmful gaseous chemicals from air stream and CWA from neutral aqueous environment. The results confirm that the MLD‐deposited MOF thin films, amorphous and crystalline, are suitable materials for use in air filtration, decontamination, and physical protection against CWA and TIC.

Occupational exposure to glass wool fibers: An update

In the decade since the last published comprehensive report of occupational exposures in the glass wool insulation industry, many process and regulatory changes have occurred in the glass wool manufacturing sector. This paper assesses whether any significant changes in worker exposures to glass wool fibers have resulted from these process and regulatory changes. The analysis compares worker exposures to glass wool overall and across different product and job categories in the manufacturing sector prior to and after 2007, the data cutoff period for the last comprehensive update of occupational exposures in this industry. The exposure data were downloaded from the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association’s synthetic vitreous fiber (SVF) exposure database, which has been continually updated with all new available SVF exposure data for the past two decades. This analysis finds no major changes in worker exposures in the glass wool manufacturing industry over the past decade, with exposures remaining well below the 1 f/cc voluntary permissible exposure limit.

Solid wall insulation of the Victorian house stock in England: A whole life carbon perspective

Solid walls are a common feature of the pre-1919 Victorian housing stock in England, however their construction results in considerable heat loss, and thus large heating requirements. Solid wall insulation of these walls would improve energy efficiency, and in turn should reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the additional insulation needed comes with an embodied carbon cost. Current studies about whole life performance of solid wall insulation focus on a single building or building type only, without considering the diversity of building types in the pre-1919 Victorian house stock. This study fills this gap by investigating the whole life carbon performance of eight current market available insulation materials. The insulation materials studied include vacuuminsulated panels (VIPs), aerogel, phenolic foam, polyurethane (PUR), polyisocyanurate (PIR), expanded polystyrene (EPS), glass wool and wood fibre. The results show that solid wall insulation reduces whole life carbon emissions up to 1654 kgCO2e per m2, with the carbon payback time of all eight insulation materials being less than 23 years in the worst case scenario, and less than one year in the best case scenario. Both are considerably shorter than the service life of the insulation materials. More actions should be taken to promote the installation of solid wall insulation in the pre-1919 Victorian house stock as this work shows that the accumulated carbon reduction potential reached 268 MtCO2e from 2021 to 2050.

Performance of Glass Wool Fibers in Asphalt Concrete Mixtures.

Nowadays, in order to improve asphalt pavement performance and durability and reduce environmental pollution caused by hydrocarbon materials, many researchers are studying different ways of modifying asphalt concrete (AC) and finding alternative paving materials to extend the service life of pavements. One of the successful materials used in the modification of AC is fibers. Different types of fibers have been reinforced in AC mixtures and improvements have been observed. This research studies the performance of glass wool fibers reinforced in a dense-graded asphalt mixture. Generally, glass fibers are known to have excellent mechanical properties such as high tensile modulus, 100% elastic recovery and a very high tolerance to heat. Glass wool fibers are commonly used as a thermal insulation material. In this research, to evaluate the performance of glass wool fibers in AC, laboratory tests, the Marshall mix design test, indirect tensile strength (IDT), tensile strength ratio (TSR) and the Kim test were conducted to determine a proper mix design, tensile properties, moisture susceptibility, rutting and fatigue behaviors. Results show that the addition of glass wool fibers does affect the properties of AC mixtures. The use of glass wool fibers shows a positive consistence result, in which it improved the moisture susceptibility and rutting resistance of the AC. Additionally, results show that the addition of fiber increased tensile strength and toughness which indicates that fibers have a potential to resist distresses that occur on a surface of the road as a result of heavy traffic loading. The overall results show that the addition of glass wool fibers in AC mixtures is beneficial in improving properties of AC pavements.

Comparative Study of the Thermal Performance of Two Thermosiphon Solar Water Heaters System

The aim of this study is to present the comparative results of experimental investigations of the thermal performance of two thermosiphon solar water heaters system (SWHS). The first uses the coconut fiber (CF), a local vegetable and the second, the glass wool (GW), an imported and expensive material, as thermal insulations. The maximum instantaneous efficiencies are, respectively, 65.30 % and 58.7% with glass wool and coconut fiber while the mass flow rate values are, respectively, 0.0098 kg/s and 0.0078 kg/s with glass wool and coconut fiber. In addition, the calculated average values of F’(τα) and F’UL are, respectively, 0.79 and 5.86 Wm-2°C for the coconut fiber collector and 0.8 and 5.26 Wm-2°C for the glass wool collector. The average heat exchanger effectiveness obtained for the two SWHS are superior to 50%. As an environment-friendly and renewable material, coconut fiber is particularly suitable for thermal insulation in order to save energy. The experimental results show the ability of the constructed solar water heater in providing hot water suitable for maternity, hotels, households and encourage its implementation and utilization on a broad scale. The SWHS can be used in any weather conditions.