Insulation materials play a central role in improving the energy performance of Europe's largely inefficient building stock, of which about 75% still requires renovation. As demand for insulation increases, the sector faces growing pressure to reduce dependence on primary raw materials. In this study, we develop the first comprehensive sector-wide static Material Flow Analysis (MFA) for the year 2016 covering the five major insulation materials used in Europe such as glass wool, stone wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), and polyurethane/polyisocyanurate (PUR/PIR) across the EU-28. Results show that insulation production in 2016 required approximately 6.4 million tonnes of material resources, of which about 78% were primary materials derived from natural sources. A closed-loop recycling scenario was then evaluated in which all available pre-consumer waste (PCW) is reintegrated into insulation manufacturing. Under this scenario, total material throughput in the system increased slightly (by 1.8%) due to greater circulation of secondary materials, while demand for primary materials decreased by 9.7%. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the improvement in primary-material efficiency (RE_PM = 9.7%) is robust (±3.1 percentage points), with model results most sensitive to mineral-wool substitution parameters and PCW availability. This study evaluates material flows on a mass basis only; environmental impacts, energy use, and upstream emissions are not assessed. Therefore, reductions in primary-material demand should not be interpreted directly as environmental benefits. The results provide a quantitative baseline for circular material management in the European insulation sector and highlight the need for complementary environmental assessments to guide sustainable decision-making.

Influence of varying aspect ratios and flow rates in thermal energy storage tanks using phase change material

To satisfy the requirements of channel-type ultra-low penetration air (ULPA) filters for high filtration efficiency, low pressure drop, and good corrugation processability, a three-layer composite filter medium with a bast-fiber surface layer/glass wool–lyocell blended core layer/bast-fiber surface layer structure was designed and prepared. The effects of surface-layer material, core-layer fiber composition, surface-layer basis weight, and processing conditions on the overall performance of the medium were systematically investigated. Bast-fiber paper exhibited the best corrugation processability and mechanical performance and was selected as the surface layer. The optimal core-layer composition was 25 wt.% 475-79 glass wool fibers, 30 wt.% 475-59 glass wool fibers, and 45 wt.% lyocell fibers, yielding an original-sheet filtration efficiency of 99.9996% and a pressure drop of 381 Pa. Further optimization showed that a bast-fiber surface layer with a basis weight of 15 g/m2 provided the best balance among pleat retention, structural stability, and low-resistance characteristics. Under optimized corrugation conditions of 120 °C roller temperature, 10 m/min roller speed, and 0.480 mm roller gap, a desirable pleat morphology suitable for channel-type structures was obtained. The resulting channel-type ULPA filter maintained a filtration efficiency of 99.99954%, while increasing the effective filtration area by 51.6% and reducing the pressure drop by 26.1% compared with a conventional pleated filter with the same dimensions. These results provide a useful reference for the design and application of low-resistance, high-efficiency filter media for channel-type ULPA filters.

Purpose This study aims to explore the potential of retrofitting external walls with insulation materials to reduce annual energy consumption in residential apartments and achieve near-zero energy standards. Specifically, it focuses on a building lacking initial insulation and uses a multicriteria model to evaluate the effectiveness of various thermal insulation strategies. Design/methodology/approach A genetic algorithm optimizes insulation thickness to minimize environmental impact (measured by global warming potential) while achieving near-zero energy consumption. DesignBuilder software simulates the building’s energy performance for various insulation scenarios, considering factors like material type, thickness and architectural constraints. Life cycle assessment assesses the environmental impact of insulation materials. Findings The study finds that rockwool and mineral glass wool (7–15 cm) paired with plasterboards (7–15 cm) offer the best balance between minimizing environmental impact and achieving energy efficiency. The findings suggest that achieving near-zero energy consumption in a single apartment unit is feasible without modifying other units or the building’s exterior walls. It highlights the need for an initial design framework considering both environmental impact and performance, despite variations caused by factors like location and building layout. Rockwool and mineral glass wool are identified as the most promising materials, offering a good balance between energy savings and environmental impact. Originality/value The research also emphasizes the ongoing efforts of manufacturers to develop thinner, more environmentally friendly insulation systems.

A prototype sampler for time-resolved monitoring of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) exposure peaks was developed. The sampler contained multiple sampling tubes arranged in a manifold equipped with an internal valve and a step motor, enabling automatic switching of the sampling flow between the tubes, allowing a sequence of up to 10 samples to be collected automatically. The inlet part of the sampling tubes contained a glass wool plug, impregnated with equimolar amounts of di-n-butyl amine (DBA) and acetic acid, to ensure efficient collection and derivatisation of the diisocyanates. The diisocyanate-DBA derivatives were analysed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. A streamlined workup procedure was introduced, consisting of a single extraction step combined with the addition of a deuterium-labelled internal standard. The streamlined workup procedure was validated against a reference method (ISO 17734). The sampler tubes were validated by monitoring concentrations from a TDI standard atmosphere and through comparative measurements with a reference method. During short-term sampling (<5 min) at flow rates of up to 2.0 L/min, the sampler tubes exhibited minimal breakthrough and high precision, with a relative standard deviation below 5%. At lower flow rates (0.5 L/min), the tubes were suitable for long-term sampling of up to 4 h. The prototype TR-sampler was successfully validated for monitoring of high TDI exposure peaks (≈2 mg/m3 [280 ppb v/v] for a 1-min sample) as well as monitoring of concentrations down to 0.25 µg TDI/m3 [0.036 ppb] for a 1-min sample with an accuracy of > 90% compared to the reference sampler.

Air pollution has drawn increasing attention. The channel-type structure, as an ideal energy-saving and resistance-reducing strategy for air filters, can effectively lower filtration resistance. However, current commercial channel-type filters generally exhibit only medium or low filtration efficiency, and the use of plant fibers as raw material limits their application in high-efficiency filters. In this study, high-efficiency glass fiber filter paper was combined with a channel-type structure, and the formulation and processing techniques suitable for the channel-type design were systematically investigated, leading to the fabrication of channel-type high-efficiency filters. The optimal formulation was determined to be a blend of glass wool fibers and 6 mm Tencel fibers in a 6:4 ratio, coated with a thermosetting resin, which yielded filter paper suitable for wave-pleating. The resulting filter paper demonstrated a filtration efficiency of 99.9624%, a pressure drop of 265.6 Pa, and a pleat aspect ratio of 0.209. Using this formulation, pilot-scale filter paper was produced and wave-pleated under processing conditions including a roller speed of 5 m/min, a roller gap of 0.4 mm, and a roller temperature of 160 °C, which was then used to fabricate channel-type high-efficiency filters. The finished channel-type filters achieved a filtration efficiency of 99.9940% with a pressure drop of 164.0 Pa. Compared to traditional pleated filters of the same volume and efficiency rating, the channel-type filter exhibited a 49.53% larger filtration area, a 33.13% lower face velocity, and a 31.67% reduction in pressure drop. This work offers a novel approach to reducing resistance and enhancing efficiency in air filtration systems.

The purpose of this study was to assess how well roof modifications—more especially, false ceilings composed of glass wool and expanded polyethylene (EPE) sheets painted with reflective white paint—could reduce heat stress and enhance the microclimate in the loose housing system of lactating Murrah buffaloes in subtropical climates. The experiment was conducted at the Buffalo Farm, LUVAS, Hisar, India, for ninety days. An asbestos roof without any modifications (T1, control), an asbestos roof with a glass wool false ceiling and white paint (T2), and an asbestos roof with an EPE sheet false ceiling and white paint (T3) were the three treatments that were compared. The temperature of the internal shed, relative humidity (RH), upper roof temperature (URT), false ceiling temperature (FCT), and floor temperature (FT) were recorded on a fortnightly basis for 3 consecutive days, along with macroclimatic parameters. The findings indicated that T2 had the best thermal insulation and heat reflectance, maintaining significantly (P&lt;0.05) the lowest interior, upper roof, false ceiling, and floor temperatures with the most stable relative humidity. T1 displayed the highest temperatures and the most heat stress, whereas T3 performed in the middle. T2 considerably moderated thermal load by achieving a temperature reduction of 4–7°C in comparison to the macroclimate. According to the research, dairy buffaloes' thermal comfort is significantly increased by integrated roof insulation and reflective surfaces, which improves their welfare and productivity in hot climates.

The interfacial phonon transport tuning, depending on the phonon density of states (PDOS) of mating materials, has received considerable attention. However, it has been mainly implemented in nanoscale superlattice structures. Here, we report successful thermal conductivity (κ) modulation in bulk-scale multilayer composites. Single-layer silicone rubber composites, embedded with PDOS-mismatched AlN, BN, or SiC particles, are alternately stacked to construct heterostructure multilayer composites. The molecular dynamics simulation reveals that the SiC-BN combination has the highest PDOS mismatch and interfacial thermal resistance. The experimental analysis also agrees that the SiC-BN combination has the smallest acoustic impedance transmittance and the highest κ reduction ratio of 14.9% (8 layers), demonstrating the reliability of two independent analyses. The κ reduction ratio is as high as 37.3% when PDOS-mismatched vermiculite and silica aerogel particles are alternately impregnated into glass wool, resulting in 2.87 mW m-1 K-1 in vacuum (24 layers). The PDOS mismatch is a key phonon design factor even for bulk-scale multilayer composites. It might find applications in refrigerators, household appliances, and building insulation panels.

Dissolution of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) using the USP-4: Part I. Fluid choice for closed-loop configuration tests.

This study examines the efficacy of geopolymer composites derived from metakaolin (MK) and waste glass wool (GW) in the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. For characterization, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis were performed. The results showed that adding more GW made the surface rougher, more porous, and higher specific surface area. The sample made entirely of GW had a specific surface area of 268.35 m2 g-1. Structural analyses corroborated the emergence of calcium-aluminosilicate gel phases in GW formulations. Adsorption performance was closely related to the gel's surface area and composition. The 100 GW and 20-80 MK-GW samples had the highest removal efficiency. Kinetic studies showed that the pseudo-second-order model best described the process, indicating that chemisorption was the predominant mechanism. Regeneration experiments showed that stability was achieved, with more than 80% of the capacity remaining after two cycles. Overall, these results highlight GW-based geopolymers as sustainable and low-cost adsorbents for effective dye removal.

The current study aims to optimize the use of insulation materials by determining the optimal thickness for exterior building walls across various Syrian climatic zones and different energy sources. The study focuses on a comparative analysis between nano-aerogel and conventional insulation materials, including Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Polyurethane (PUR), and Glass Wool (GW), utilizing Heating and Cooling Degree-Days (HDD/CDD) methodology, to enhance energy efficiency in buildings. An integrated assessment was conducted through Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCC), encompassing thermal and environmental aspects, with a competitive advantage featuring the integration of space-saving requirements and the calculation of economic feasibility resulting from the rental of floor areas recovered through the use of low-thickness aerogel insulation. The results indicated that Glass Wool (GW) emerged as a highly feasible option prior to integrating space savings, with thicknesses ranging from 0.06 to 0.15 m. In contrast, aerogel achieved the highest efficiency when space savings were incorporated into the analysis, particularly in cities with high rental values such as Damascus, Aleppo (diesel fuel), and Latakia (diesel fuel), due to its remarkably low optimal thickness (0.001–0.011 m). Specifically, aerogel reached its peak efficiency in the city of Latakia (diesel fuel) at an exceptionally low optimal thickness of 0.001 m. At this level, the reduction in initial capital expenditure allowed space-saving revenues to dominate the economic balance, sharply decreasing the discounted payback period to just 1.2 years (the shortest value recorded in this study). This accelerated cost recovery pace enabled aerogel to outperform all studied conventional materials. The study concludes that there is a critical trade-off requiring a precise balance between the material’s embodied energy and the sustainable economic and spatial gains, making the selection of insulation material and its optimal thickness a decision that depends primarily on the economic and spatial context of the project. Environmentally, conventional materials achieved higher emission reduction rates compared to aerogel due to their larger adopted optimal thicknesses for all study scenarios presented.

Phase change materials (PCMs) are the most suitable for storing thermal energy, as they store latent heat with a high storage energy density per unit volume. PCMs are a proven scheme of thermal management in the context of cooling electronic devices. This paper focuses on enhancing the efficiency as well as reducing the time during charging and discharging of the PCMs. Various aluminium fin structures in contact with PCM are analysed using the finite volume method. Lauric acid-PCM is employed for the analysis in applications at low and mid-temperature ranges. The analysis was carried out with a 40 mm x 40 mm 2D vessel, a heat flux of 180 W/m2 from the top surface, and a 3 mm-thick aluminium plate; the other sides are insulated with glass wool. Three cases are considered to contrast efficiency: vessels with no fins, vessels with 3 mm-diameter straight aluminum fins, and vessels with 1 mm-diameter periodic-structured aluminum fins (mesh fins) with a 10 mm cell base size. The three cases are analyzed in Ansys Fluent for charging time; the straight and periodic structured fins are also analyzed for discharging time. It was inferred from the results that vessels with straight fins had a 58% decrease in charging time as compared to vessels with no fins. Vessels with periodic structured fins had a 82% decrease in charging time as compared to vessels with no fins. Also, the periodic structured tubes required 61.5% less time to discharge than the straight tube structure. Hence, Periodic Structured fins and tubes could overcome the problem of a long time taken for charging and discharging PCM.

The increasing use of mechanical ventilation systems in energy efficient buildings introduces a significant pathway for acoustic crosstalk between rooms via air ducts. Air ducts connecting rooms can reduce airborne sound insulation, and therefore such systems can affect acoustic comfort not only through the noise they generate. This article focuses on a common situation where air ductwork located outside of ventilated rooms has branches leading into rooms (e.g., ventilation system in ceiling plenum in corridor connected to habitable rooms in apartment). The study provides new experimental data on sound transmission through ventilation ducts. Various materials (steel and glass wool pre-insulated ducts) and duct configurations were investigated. The results are presented by means of normalized level differences specific to the ventilation system, Dn,s, to facilitate their further use, e.g., for predictions of total airborne sound insulation between rooms according to ISO 12354-1:2017, which contains a prediction model enabling the combination of Dn,s,w of the system with Rw of the wall. The results show a significant variation in sound insulation (Dn,s,w) from 37 dB (for sheet metal system) to 73 dB (for glass wool system), which implies that sound-absorbing ductwork provides considerably higher acoustic comfort. The acoustic performance of traditional sheet metal ductwork was highly dependent on terminal elements and was often insufficient to meet common sound insulation requirements, whereas ductwork made of sound-absorbing materials provided consistently high insulation.

In cold climates, winter heat loss through building walls significantly impacts energy consumption. Several previous experiments showed that while simple steady-state methods such as the Degree-Days approach are often used for estimation, they lack accuracy in capturing transient effects. In this paper, we employ a numerical transient simulation method to evaluate heat transfer through the southern and northern wall in five cold cities over the six-month heating season. Temperature profiles and heat loss are analyzed for both uninsulated and insulated walls using glass wool with varying thicknesses. The optimal insulation thickness is determined by assessing thermal performance across different scenarios. The results will help determine how to increase energy and financial efficiency at the same time in cold climates. As a result, it was found that for the south wall, the optimum insulation thicknesses are (33, 25, 30, 32, and 26 cm), and the life cycle energy savings are (564.56, 300.12, 448.01, 516.41, and 302.38 Euros per square meter) for the cities of Ulaanbaatar, Copenhagen, Edmonton, Hokkaido, and Warsaw, respectively, while the payback time are (1.79, 2.71, 2.09, 1.92, and 2.75 years).

Adsorption of aqueous methylene blue, NH4+, Co(II) or As(III) with alkali-activated glass wool: isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics

Thermal insulation materials play a significant role in balancing buildings' total carbon emissions. Balancing involves applying the optimized amount of insulation materials to avoid excessive emissions in either the operational or embodied phases. Due to the wide range of insulation materials and variations of their specifications, it is vital to analyse them individually. The focus of this study is to optimize the amount of insulation materials in the facades of Residential Buildings (RB) to balance the amount of Operational Carbon Emissions (OCE) and Embodied Carbon Emissions (ECE) by applying the Building Information Modelling-Life Cycle Assessment (BIM-LCA) integration method. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) stages, from extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, construction, usage, and end-of-life, as well as the impact assessment categories, are based on European standards. 49 building materials are utilized during this research activity, which includes the three insulation materials as alternatives, such as Glass wool, polyurethane (PUR), and Natural Cork from mineral, synthetic, and natural categories, and lightweight concrete blocks made from pumice, and clay brick blocks as other alternatives for the main core of the Facades. The RB under study is a prototype sample located in Milan. After performing the methodology and analyses, the results demonstrate that thermal conductivity and density play an important role. For instance, Natural Cork in higher thickness values performs better, while PUR in lower ones.

This study aimed to evaluate the long-term stability of glass wool used as insulation material in domestic nuclear power plants and to quantify its degradation mechanisms and dissolution kinetics under highly alkaline conditions (pH ≥ 12) expected in cementitious environments associated with vault-type disposal systems for low-level radioactive waste. Experiments were conducted at 20 °C and 80 °C using cement-saturated groundwater (CGW) as the primary solution, while comparative tests were performed in NaOH and Ca(OH)₂ solutions at equivalent pH levels. ICP-OES, SEM-EDS, and XRD analyses revealed that dissolved Ca²⁺ significantly suppressed glass dissolution. The presence of abundant Ca²⁺ ions promoted densification of the surface alteration layer, retarding degradation, whereas depletion of Ca²⁺ resulted in a rapid increase in the dissolution rate. Although calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) precipitates are generally known to inhibit glass corrosion, the CSH phases formed in this study exhibited limited protective capability due to their low Ca/Si ratios and high porosity. Based on the dissolution rate constant at 20 °C, the complete dissolution of glass wool was estimated to require approximately 213 years; however, under conditions of limited Ca²⁺ availability, the dissolution rate could increase by up to 70-fold, approaching that observed in NaOH solution.

Abstract The modern physical product economy’s main material production model mainly relies on extracting limited natural resources, often with little regard for end-of-life disposal or environmental impact. This review evaluates the thermal conductivity of mycelium-based composites (MBCs), a highly sustainable alternative produced through a biologically driven process in which fungal mycelia bind lignocellulosic agricultural wastes, such as hemp, flax, straw, and softwood, into lightweight, cohesive composites. Mycelium is introduced into fibrous substrates and grows into a dense three-dimensional network, after which the material is thermally inactivated to ensure stability and halt biological activity. The review compares composites made from three fiber types (hemp, flax, and straw) grown with the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor. Their thermal conductivity is assessed against conventional insulation materials, including glass wool, rock wool, and extruded polystyrene. Findings show that MBCs containing flax, hemp, and straw generally outperform these conventional materials, particularly in water absorption and thermal conductivity. The mycelium–hemp composite achieves the lowest thermal conductivity at 0.0404 W/(m·K) with a density of 99 kg/m 3 . The study also reveals that fiber size and physical processing exert a stronger influence on mechanical behavior than chemical composition. This review highlights the potential of mycelium-based materials as environmentally friendly, low-impact alternatives for thermal insulation applications.

Glass wool waste constitutes a rapidly increasing fraction of construction and demolition residues, yet it remains one of the most challenging insulation materials to recycle. Its non-combustible nature, extremely low bulk density, and high fibre elasticity preclude energy recovery and severely limit conventional mechanical recycling routes, resulting in long-term landfilling and loss of mineral resources. Converting glass wool waste into a fine mineral powder represents a potentially viable pathway for its integration into low-carbon construction materials, provided that industrial scalability, particle-size control, and chemical compatibility with cementitious binders are ensured. This study investigates the industrial-scale milling of end-of-life glass wool waste in a ventilated horizontal ball mill. It compares two grinding routes: a corundum-free route (BK) and an abrasive-assisted route (ZK) employing α-Al2O3 corundum to intensify fibre fragmentation. Particle size distribution was quantified by laser diffraction using cumulative and differential analyses, as well as characteristic diameters. The results confirm that abrasive-assisted milling significantly enhances fragmentation efficiency and reduces the coarse fibre fraction. However, the study demonstrates that this gain in fineness is inherently coupled with the incorporation of α-Al2O3 into the milled powder, introducing a chemically foreign crystalline phase that cannot be removed by post-processing. From a cement-oriented perspective, this contamination represents a critical limitation, as α-Al2O3 may interfere with hydration reactions, aluminate–sulfate equilibria, and microstructural development in Portland and calcium sulfoaluminate binders. In contrast, the corundum-free milling route yields a slightly coarser, chemically unmodified powder, offering improved process robustness, lower operational complexity, and greater compatibility with circular economy objectives. The study establishes that, for the circular reuse of fibrous insulation waste in cementitious systems, particle fineness alone is insufficient as an optimization criterion. Instead, the combined consideration of fineness, chemical purity, and binder compatibility governs the realistic and sustainable reuse potential of recycled glass wool powders.

A portable integrated sensing device incorporating a Tb3+/DTE-Cu NC ratiometric fluorescent probe was developed for the rapid on-site detection of fluoroquinolone (FQ) residues in poultry eggs. The system features a dual-layer filtration unit, consisting of glass wool and a polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate hydrogel, which purifies egg samples in situ through combined physical interception and chemical adsorption. The Tb3+/DTE-Cu NC probe was immobilized within the hydrogel matrix, enabling full integration of the entire "sample introduction-filtration-detection" process. Under 365 nm UV light, fluorescence emission shifts from red to green as the FQ concentration increases. Quantitative analysis is accomplished by extracting the G/R ratio from smartphone-captured RGB values. The device achieves a detection limit of 1.6 nM, with recoveries for spiked egg samples ranging from 91% to 112%. This low-cost, rapid, and instrument-free platform presents a practical solution for the sensitive on-site monitoring of antibiotic residues in food safety applications.