Insulation Board Research Articles

Dense and strong, but superinsulating silica aerogel

Silica aerogel is the ultimate thermal insulator thanks to its record-breaking low thermal conductivity (λ), open porosity and hydrophobicity. Silica aerogel's thermal conductivity is lowest at intermediate densities (ρ ≈ 0.11 g/cm3) and, because of the strong, power-law dependence of the E modulus on density, this rather low density so far led to low E moduli. Even with polymer reinforcement, increasing stiffness is only possible at higher density, thus higher conductivity. This paper explores the synthesis of silica aerogel granules using ambient pressure drying to provide enhanced mechanical stiffness whilst maintaining thermal conductivities well below 20 mW m−1 K−1. The aging and drying conditions affect the interplay between mechanical and thermal properties, and are varied to optimize the physical properties. The dense (ρ≤0.29 g/cm3), but superinsulating (λ≈15 mW m−1 K−1) silica aerogels presented in this paper challenge the community's understanding of heat transport in aerogels, and do not rely on polymer reinforcement. The underlying microscopic structural parameters affecting the mechanical and thermal transport properties are investigated by modelling and simulation of the aerogel back-bone. Short aging times reduce the cross-section of, and heat transport through, inter-particle necks, leading to an overall decrease in thermal conductivity through the solid skeleton (λs). In addition, short-aged gels undergo a partial pore collapse during ambient pressure drying of the pore fluid due to less aged, hence weaker network structures. The resulting denser structure contains additional point contacts that increase stiffness, by up to an order of magnitude. However, heat transport through these newly formed point-contacts is limited and the gas phase conduction (λs) is further suppressed due to the even smaller pore sizes. Strong and superinsulating particles are ideal fillers for aerogel composites, concrete and renders. The optimized APD aerogels, available as granules, are finally compiled in a composite thermal insulation board with an effective thermal conductivity down to 20 mW m−1 K−1 with improved strength: a 2-fold increase for E, compared to a board produced from classical silica aerogel granulate. The possibility to improve mechanical properties of pure silica aerogels can help aerogels to break into new high-strength, superinsulating structural applications needed to reduce carbon emissions of the built environment.

Elevated temperature thermal properties of fire protective boards and insulation materials for light steel frame systems

New materials are increasingly used in the construction of cold-formed Light gauge Steel Frame (LSF) systems to achieve lightweight, more durable and fire resistant building systems. However, these materials are being used without good knowledge and understanding of their elevated temperature thermal properties. Hence a thorough investigation of the elevated temperature thermal properties was conducted for a range of building materials used in the LSF systems of Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Thermal property tests were conducted on gypsum plasterboards, calcium silicate boards, magnesium oxide boards, perlite boards, insulation materials and structural plywoods, totalling 21 potential LSF components. The thermal properties of specific heat at constant pressure, relative density, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were determined using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and laser flash analysis and the guidelines of ASTM standard test methods. This paper presents the results of the elevated temperature thermal properties of a range of building materials used in the LSF systems. This advanced knowledge and understanding of the elevated temperature thermal properties will allow accurate predictions of the fire resistance of LSF systems using appropriate numerical and fire design methods and facilitate the development of improved LSF systems with enhanced fire resistance levels. Several materials such as gypsum plasterboards, calcium silicate boards, perlite board and rockwool fibre insulation have been identified to be suitable for use in LSF systems because of their high specific heat, low thermal conductivity, reduced mass loss and low bulk density.

Characterisation of hardwood fibres used for wood fibre insulation boards (WFIB)

Wood fibre insulation boards (WFIB) are typically made from softwood fibres. However, due to the rapid decrease in softwood stands in Germany, the industry will be forced to adapt to the wood market. Therefore, alternative approaches for the substitution of softwood with hardwood will be needed in the fibre industry. The objective of this paper is to address the characterisation of hardwood fibres regarding their availability for the WFIB industry. The physico-mechanical properties of WFIB are significantly determined by the length of the fibres. Longer softwood fibres usually generate higher strength properties and a lower thermal conductivity than shorter hardwood fibres. In this paper, the potential application of hardwood fibres (up to 20,500 μm long) produced in a refiner by thermo-mechanical pulping (TMP) to WFIB production was examined. The scanner-based system FibreShape was used for the automatic optical analysis of the geodesic length distribution of fibres. The analysed hardwood fibres contained significantly more dust and were shorter than respectively produced softwood fibres, limiting their applicability for WFIB production. Thus, two analytical approaches were chosen to receive longer fibres and less dust: (1) blending hardwood fibres with supporting softwood fibres (20%, 50 and 80% proportion of softwood), and (2) mathematical fractionation of hardwood fibres based on the fibre length to remove all particles smaller than 500 μm. It was concluded that the practical fractionation seems to be economically and ecologically challenging and that blending hardwood fibres with at least 50% softwood fibres offers a promising approach, which should be further studied.

What drives public acceptance of sustainable CO2-derived building materials? A conjoint-analysis of eco-benefits vs. health concerns

To reduce CO2-emissions following global and national climate protection plans, the deployment of Carbon Capture and Utilization technologies (CCU), where CO2-emissions can be captured and used as raw materials to produce valuable products, is driven forward. Thermal insulation boards are a CO2-derived product option based on polyurethane plastics, which are used for the thermal insulation of building envelopes. Despite their importance for a CO2reduction in the building sector, the public perception and acceptance of CO2-derived products also need to be considered as decisive factors for a successful deployment of CCU. In this study, perceptions, acceptance levels and a multicriteria-decision-analysis based on the conjoint analysis approach among potential customers were assessed. Findings revealed an overall positive perception and positive acceptance levels of CO2-derived insulation boards. The main impact factors on purchase decisions were perceived health concerns and concerns about environmental damage during the production or the disposal of insulation boards. Acceptance profiles of two subgroups were identified, in which health aspects and environmental aspects influenced the acceptance decisions. The results contribute to a better understanding of the public response to the development of sustainable technologies and products and to better align their development and communication with the requirements of the population and future consumers. The knowledge can be used to inform science and industry at an early stage about factors relevant to acceptance so that technology development and product roll-out can be optimized not only based on technical, economic, and ecological parameters but also integrating key acceptance parameters.

Morocco’s housing challenge: Effect of current marketed building materials on the energy performance of residential buildings

The paper provides a research on the energy performance of current marketed building materials used for household construction in eastern Morocco. Firstly, the characterization of the thermophysical properties of commonly used building materials (cement, plaster, hollow bricks and insulation boards) was carried out using the Hot Disk method. A local building material database of eastern Morocco region was developed. It was found that the thermal conductivity of the most affordable insulation boards was of 0.03 W/mK, while the thermal conductivity of cement-based products ranged from 0.65 to 0.7 W/mK. The experimental results show that the Moroccan market of building materials cannot participate in promoting eco-construction and designing efficient lightweight building envelopes at local level. Therefore, a strong focus on the development of local low-cost insulation materials for building applications are needed. The numerical building performance analysis shows that available building practices are only efficient for passive heating. Further studied on passive cooling techniques are greatly required for designing low energy buildings in Morocco.

On the Feasibility of a pMDI-Reduced Production of Wood Fiber Insulation Boards by Means of Kraft Lignin and Ligneous Canola Hulls.

The thermal insulation of buildings using wood fiber insulation boards (WFIBs) constitutes a positive contribution towards climate change. Thereby, the bonding of wood fibers using mainly petrochemical-based resins such as polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI) is an important measure to meet required board properties. Still there is a need to reduce or partial substitute the amount of these kinds of resins in favor of a greener product. This study therefore focusses on the feasibility of reducing the amount of pMDI by 50% through the addition of 1% BioPiva 395 or Indulin as two types of softwood Kraft-Lignin and lignin rich canola hulls together with propylene carbonate as a diluent. A panel density of 160 kg/m3 and a thickness of 40 mm was aimed. The curing of these modified pMDI was investigated by using two types of techniques: hot-steam (HS) and innovative hot-air/hot-steam-process (HA/HS). The WFIBs were then tested on their physical-mechanical properties. The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was determined at two different climates. An exemplary investigation of thermal conductivity was conducted as well. The WFIBs did undergo a further chemically based analysis towards extractives content and elemental (C, N) composition. The results show that it is feasible to produce WFIBs with lower quantities of pMDI resin and added lignin with enhanced physical-mechanical board properties, which were lacking no disadvantages towards thermal conductivity or behavior towards moisture, especially when cured via HA/HS-process.

Preparation and thermal properties of commercial vermiculite bonded with potassium silicate

Expanded vermiculite bonded with potassium silicate finds use as high-temperature insulation boards. The thermal properties of the vermiculite boards are critical for their applications and expected lifetime. This work reports on the processing and thermal properties of vermiculite boards (400–600 kg m−3) prepared from three different commercial vermiculite sources. Commercial vermiculite is first expanded through flash-heating, then mixed with potassium silicate and then finally pressed to boards. The untreated- and expanded vermiculite and the boards are studied with X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, heating microscope and electron microscope. The expansion process affects the ability of the expanded vermiculite to reabsorb moisture and the ability is dependent on vermiculite source. The vermiculite boards undergoes several physical-chemical transitions at elevated temperatures. Water from both clay minerals and binder is lost at <250 °C. At 800–1200 °C, the dehydroxylation of clay minerals first occurs, then the boards shrink, and forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and leucite (KAlSi2O6) crystallise subsequently. At 1200–1420 °C, the leucite melts and the boards shrink again. The crystallisation- and melting temperatures depend on the vermiculite source. These findings provide practical guidelines for processing vermiculite into lightweight boards.

Mechanical and Physical Characterisation of Typha domingensis-Based Thermal Insulation Boards for Developing Areas such as Nigeria

The improvement of energy efficiency in buildings is pivotal for mitigating climate change and its repercussions on weather patterns, such as raised average temperatures and extreme weather events, which are expected to become an increasingly frequent occurrence. In addition, it is continuously impacting ecosystems and causing biodiversity loss through the proliferation of non-native invasive species, such as Typha domingensis, which can entail significant direct human health impacts. This research puts forth the use of this aquatic plant as thermal insulation material, which would consequently aid in controlling its spreading. Along with a context-tailored manufacturing method, five types of thermal insulation boards were developed, each with a different dosage of cement, ranging from 0 to 80%. Out of these, the boards with 60% of fibre content were found to be optimal due to their low thermal conductivity and their balanced mechanical strength, swelling and hydric performance. Furthermore, transient simulations developed for the Nigerian context and sub-Saharan Africa area showed that the optimal thickness for the boards would be 80 mm. With the implementation of Typha boards, indoor temperatures no longer exceeded 35 °C and the number of comfortable occupied hours increased by 70% compared to the baseline situation.

Multifactor Effects on the Thermal Performances of Molten-Salt Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Numerical Study

The molten-salt battery is a very suitable battery for large-scale energy storage due to its low cost and excellent performance. A solid electrolyte-based liquid lithium battery (called SELL battery) is a new type of molten-salt battery with enormous potential for stationary energy storage and extreme environment energy storage such as aerospace and deserts. It has a series of advantages, including the good thermal and chemical performance of the LLZTO electrolyte, lithium anode’s high theoretical specific capacity (3860 mA h g–1), and recharged high-capacity cathode material. For more stable operation and higher energy utilization efficiency of molten-salt batteries, we designed a thermal–electrochemical coupled 3D SELL battery module model. We successfully realized the module-level long-term (dozens of hours) transient simulation under different operating conditions. Results demonstrate the existence of an optimal charge–discharge rate, which minimizes the sum of the heat generated by the battery and heating plate (31% energy saving compared to battery standing). The heating plate’s variable power working mode is more flexible and effective than the constant power working mode. With the increasing thickness of the heat insulation board, energy consumption gradually reduces (energy consumption of which the thickness of heat insulation board equals 3 cm is 3.7 times that of a 12 cm one) and tends to be gentle. A dense array of batteries helps maintain battery temperature and different heating plate shapes have little effect on the average heating plate power. This paper successfully simulated the electrochemical and heat transfer processes of the SELL battery for the first time. It provided a general and efficient numerical simulation method for the molten-salt battery. The results obtained are conducive to improving the molten-salt battery’s stability and reducing the battery module’s energy consumption.

Transparent SiOxCyHz Barrier Film Prepared by PECVD with Upper and Lower Pair Electrode Rolls Structure

Flexible and transparent barrier film is demanded in the fields of organic solar thin-film cells, flexible organic light-emitting diodes, electronic paper and vacuum insulation boards. To prepare films with high water resistance, flexible SiOxCyHz films were prepared on PET using HMDSO as monomer and Oxygen (O2) as reaction gas. SiOxCyHz films were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with upper and lower pair electrode rolls structure, with the width of electrode rolls up to 600 mm. The influences of oxygen content, film thickness, oxygen/monomer ratio, reaction vacuum degree on water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) were studied. This coating method of oxide high barrier film has great application potential in the development of barrier film industry.

Uma Lengge: A Local Wisdom of Plants and Environmental Resources Utilisation in Bima Traditional House Architecture, West Nusa Tenggara

Uma Lengge is a traditional house of Bima tribe located at Maria Village, Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara, with main raw material consisting of species of woods, bamboos and reeds. As one of the cultural heritage in West Nusa Tenggara, a study that support the cultural preservation efforts is needed, including the preservation on plants used in its construction. This ethnobotanical research aims to reveal the local wisdom and other ethnobotanical aspects contained in Uma Lengge architecture. This descriptive exploratory research applied qualitative and quantitative ethnobotanical research methods based on data collection carried out through observation, interviews and documentation. Informants selection used purposive sampling and snowball sampling method. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed descriptively based on the observations, interviews, and calculations of Reported Use (RU) and Index of Cultural Significance (ICS). The result showed that local wisdom contained in Uma Lengge architecture is still applied by the local people from generation to generation in term of plants utilisation in Uma Lengge construction, ancient habits, customs, and the preservation of annual traditions or rituals that have good values to be passed on. There are 11 species used as materials in Uma Lengge constuction, namely Bambusa vulgaris, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Dalbergia latifolia, Tectona grandis, Areca catechu, Gossampinus malabarica, Imperata cylindrica, Ficus benjamina, Cocos nucifera, Gigantochloa apus and Swietenia macrophylla. Plant utilisation in Uma Lengge is used in 10 categories: poles, floors, beams, sloofs, roofs, unifiers, rodent insulation boards, wind breakers, stairs and fences. Conservation efforts for species involved in Uma Lengge construction need to be done, especially for species with limited availability. It is recommended that this cultural site should get more attention and efforts to preserve the cultural heritage along with all local wisdom related to plants and environmental utilisation contained in it.

Research on Impact Sound Insulation Performance of Timber Floor Structure

To meet users’ needs for the building comfort, this article researched the impact sound insulation performance of timber floor structure under different conditions. The research has been done on a common floor covering and three floating floor coverings (composed of Portuguese cork board, a kind of improved graphite polystyrene sound insulation board (BGL) and expanded polypropylene sound insulation board (EPP) respectively) in the same bedroom in a two-story light-weight timber structure. The tapping machine excitation and daily behavior excitation test methods have been used, and the field tests on the impact sound insulation of the floors under conditions that doors and windows are closed and doors and windows are opened have been validated. Based on the test result, the sound insulation effects has been analyzed; law of the sound pressure distribution of the noise sources and the change of sound pressure with frequency has been validated; the frequency characteristics of the noise sources has been summarized; and the optimization measures of sound insulation has been proposed. The main conclusions show that: the impact sound insulation effect of the floating floor is more significant than that of the ordinary floor, BGL floor has the highest impact sound pressure level improvement; the insulated sound pressure of the floating floors is 10–20 times more than that of the ordinary floor in condition of tapping machine; With the increase of the frequency, the measured impact pressure level of the floor decreases continuously, and the decrement of the impact sound of the floor increases; in the frequency range of 80-8000 Hz, the sound pressure distribution of the floating floor is lower than that of the ordinary floorsound pressure. The impact sound insulation test is expected to provide a useful reference for improving the sound insulation performance of the timber floor structure, and has high engineering application value for improving living comfort.

PEMBUATAN ANTI DROPLED BOARD BAGI PEDAGANG PASAR MENYAMBUT NEW NORMAL WABAH COVID 19

Facing the new normal era of the Covid 19 outbreak, people are returning to activities like before the Covid 19 outbreak, amid the transmission of the Covid outbreak which is still quite high, all people are required to be able to maintain distance and transmission of firus covid 19 through dropled. For people who work in traditional market markets who are susceptible to contracting the Covid 19 virus, they need an anti-dropled board insulation tool so that dropled splashes are blocked. The goal is to find a solution to prevent the spread of the corona / Covid virus 19 Making anti-dropled boards for market traders to welcome the new normal 19 outbreak. The results of this PKM goal are according to the target, namely preventing the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the new normal by maintaining vigilance against the transmission of covid, all caution must be done, especially traditional market traders, to prevent the spread of the Covid 19 virus through droplets, it is necessary to make special tools Virus prevention through these droplets is called a thick PVC plastic insulator / anti-dropled board combined with a lightweight iron frame so that communication between traders and buyers does not occur but is blocked by the tool.

The Coupling Effect in Drying Section in Traveling Grate: a CFD and Experimental Study

Traveling grate is a widely used process for iron ore pellet production; however, the thermal state of pellets in drying section is still unclear. In this study, the temperature distribution of drying section was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Based on the calculated results of airflow velocity, space temperature distribution, and the temperature change of pellets, it concluded that there is a coupling effect in drying section in traveling grate. The gas with higher temperature in DDD transfers heat to UDD through the gap of the insulation board, and the temperature gradient of the pellet bed changed before reaching the insulation board. The characteristics of pellet bed expected to appear in DDD was displayed in UDD in advance. Moreover, a contrast experiment was conducted to verify the model.

High Temperature Insulation Materials for DC Cable Insulation — Part III: Degradation and Surface Breakdown

The first two parts in this series gave full analysis and discussion of five high temperature insulation materials, i.e. PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PEEK, and PI over aspects of space charge behavior, conduction property as well as partial discharge, respectively. In this part, the degradation and surface breakdown properties are investigated and the related mechanism is discussed. The results showed that due to stable formation of C-F structures, PTFE and FEP melted locally during arc erosion test, with no carbon element being precipitated. At 25 °C, PI showed the best surface anti-arc erosion property among ETFE, PEEK and PI. However, compared with other samples, the arc withstand property of PI can be much more influenced at higher temperature and in case of surface contamination. Compared with the results measured at 25 °C, the surface flashover voltage decreased for all samples when measured at 150 °C, which can be explained by the expansion of “analogous ineffective region”. FEP has the highest surface flashover voltage at both 25 °C and 150 °C, which is due to higher surface roughness. The content of this paper provides a reference for aging characterization and evaluation of high temperature materials for DC cable and circuit board insulation.

Effect of surface treatment on mechanical, physical and morphological properties of oil palm/bagasse fiber reinforced phenolic hybrid composites for wall thermal insulation application

The effect of 2%v/v silane and 4%v/v hydrogen peroxide treatment on mechanical, physical and morphological characterization of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) fiber reinforced bio-phenolic hybrid composites has been evaluated in this work. The treated OPEFB and SCB fibers has been prepared with different ratio while maintaining 50%wt fiber loading, and then incorporated with the bio-phenolic resin by hand layup technique to produce pure and hybrid composites. Universal testing machine INSTRON has been used for tensile, flexural, and compressive strength analysis. Water absorption and thickness swelling are determined after 24 h. Fracture behaviour, void and fiber pull out of the specimen was observed by using scanning electron microscope in morphological analysis. The hybridization of silane treated 7OPEFB:3SCB fiber indicates better highest performance on tensile strength and modulus with 11.67 MPa and 1348.43 MPa. The silane treated 5OPEFB:5SCB hybrid composites show highest flexural and compressive strength, 16.82 MPa and 6.53 MPa, respectively. Obtained result showed silane treated 3OPEFB:7SCB hybrid composites displays lowest water absorption and thickness swelling after 24 h analysis and show less void content. This study indicated that 2%v/v silane coupling agent gives better enhancement of mechanical properties compared to 4%v/v hydrogen peroxide treatment. Silane treated 5OPEFB:5SCB fiber reinforced bio-phenolic hybrid composites fulfil requirement of the mechanical and physical properties needed for insulation board as per standard. It can be concluded from this study that silane treatment improve the performance of agriculture residue and the hybridization of bio-composites have potential to develop new class of eco-friendly thermal insulation and sustainable wall building materials.

Mechanical design and finite element analysis of live working robot for 10kV distribution power systems

Abstract Live-working is the development trend of smart grid, and the development of high-performance live-working robot system is the inevitable demand of technology development. A dual-arm live-working robot system is developed to overcome the problems existing in the design and application of the current live-working robots. The system is composed of operation module, reference board platform module, insulation cover and control system module. The power-driven cooperative UR10 mechanical manipulators are used, and standardized mechanical interfaces are adopted to make sure that the assembly and testing process is very efficient and convenient. ANSYS Workbench is used to analyze the strength of the whole robot to guarantee the requirements of strength and deformation. The mass of the whole robot is minimized to less than 170kg during the lead wire procedure.

Energy saving technology of wall insulation of harbor building based on energy cost analysis

Seaport buildings have been affected by marine moisture for a long time, but most of the wall thermal insulation studies have not considered the moisture transfer effect of the wall structure. Therefore, considering the moisture transfer function of the wall structure and the energy consumption of solar radiation, based on the energy cost analysis, the paper puts forward the research on the wall thermal insulation and energy-saving technology of the harbor building based on the energy cost analysis. Grey clustering is used to analyze the project cost and environmental benefits to determine the index weight. By using two kinds of thermal insulation materials and three kinds of insulation positions, the thermal performance and condensation characteristics of the wall are analyzed. It is found that increasing the thickness of the insulation layer is conducive to reducing the heat loss of the wall. Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) thermal insulation material is better than expandable polystyrene board (EPS) insulation material, while EPS is more economical and energy-saving than XPS.

Insulation systems for structures on pile supports

Construction on problem soils or in permafrost conditions involves using of pile foundations with a ventilated space under the floor structure. In this case, additional thermal insulation is required under the first-floor structure (above the ventilated space). The aim of research was to develop insulation systems for buildings on pile foundations for different climatic zones, including conditions of the arctic region and other regions with a predominance of ever-frozen ground. With the help of the THERM computer program, the conditions of bidimensional heat interchange in the enclosing structures of a building with pile foundation were simulated. The resulting models were analysed in terms of the thermophysical characteristics of the structures. As a result, the optimal version of the insulation system was chosen, effective both in the climatic conditions of the midland and in the especially cold conditions of Yakutia and Trans-Polar region (The Subarctic). This system included insulation with mineral wool slabs along the facade walls, with extruded foamed polystyrene along the basement part and the floor structure, and with rolled foamed polyethylene (with the formation of a seamless insulation shell) along the ventilated space under the floor structure and above, on top of insulation boards.

Insulation systems for structures on pile supports

Construction on problem soils or in permafrost conditions involves using of pile foundations with a ventilated space under the floor structure. In this case, additional thermal insulation is required under the first-floor structure (above the ventilated space). This problem is com-pounded by construction in cold regions. The goal of research was to develop insulation systems for buildings on pile foundations for different climatic zones, including conditions of the arctic region and other regions with a predominance of ever-frozen ground. With the help of the THERM computer program, the conditions of bidimensional heat interchange in the enclosing structures of a building with pile foundation were simulated. The construction of such buildings is practiced on problem soils. The resulting models were analyzed in terms of the thermophysical characteristics of the structures. As a result, the optimal version of the insulation system was chosen, effective both in the climatic conditions of the midland and in the especially cold conditions of Yakutia and Trans-Polar region (The Subarctic). This system included insulation with mineral wool slabs along the facade walls, with extruded polystyrene (XPS) foams along the basement part and the floor structure, and with roll polyethylene (PE) foams (with the formation of a seamless insulation shell) along the ventilated space under the floor structure and above, on top of insulation boards.