Interior Material Research Articles

Sound environment design using flexible wood-based sound absorbers

A sound-absorbing material made of flexible wooden boards with air permeability was developed to improve the indoor sound environment of buildings. The flexible wood-based material has sound absorbing characteristics with the Helmholtz resonator by its air permeability. In other words, various sound absorption characteristics could be realized owing to the cross-sectional shape (flat or curved) and machining conditions (cut width, cut pitch, and plate thickness). In this paper, the application of flexible wood-based sound-absorbing materials to acoustic design in actual buildings (nursery schools and a church) where acoustic considerations are required is presented. In their application to a newly built nursery school, one of the considerations was to prevent the loss of design by installing sound-absorbing materials. In their application to acoustic renovation, the sound environment improvement effect was confirmed by measuring sounds before and after the installation, and it was also confirmed that the users were able to feel the improvement effect. These results will lead to the development of sound-absorbing wooden boards as an interior material and the promotion of the use of wood in buildings to contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society.

Non-staining resistance to dyes and odors of synthetic leathers composed of polyurethane resins with different glass transition temperatures

The objective of this study was to develop a highly durable synthetic leather with excellent resistance to light discoloration and deterioration without the use of fluorine or silicon and a surface that is resistant to dyes and odors. Environment-friendly biomass feedstock was used as the reaction component. Firstly, polyurethane (PU) resins with varying glass transition temperatures ( Tg) were synthesized. Subsequently, these were used as surface treatment agents for synthetic leather, and the relationship between the non-staining performance of the PU resin and the Tg values was discussed. In addition, the physical durability over time was investigated. The non-staining performance of the synthetic leather surface against dyed clothing and the odor of ammonia evidently depended on the Tg of the PU resin used as the surface treatment agent. The Tg range that is the most convenient for practical purposes, and the related best light discoloration and degradation resistance and bending resistance, were confirmed, and serve as indicators that the material can be used as a highly durable interior material.

Cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of interior floor material alternatives in Egypt

AbstractThe building materials sector has a major environmental impact and is one of the main causes of environmental degradation in the construction industry. An Environmental Impact Assessment of several interior floor material options, such as ceramic, marble, and parquet tiles, is conducted in this study using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. Due to the shortage of LCA applications in Egypt and the unavailability of the inventory database for the materials industries, the study uses a case study of a new city in Egypt to assess the environmental effects of various floor materials. The LCA approach uses SimaPro software V9.50 and its integrated Ecoinvent database V3.0 to define the objective and scope, conduct an inventory analysis, evaluate the impact, and interpret the results. According to the LCA findings, ceramic tiles, followed by marble tiles and parquet tiles, have the lowest negative environmental impacts. Regarding the singles score, results (midpoint method) have revealed that the marble tiles have hit the highest adverse environmental impacts by 2.24 pt, followed by parquet by 1.21 pt, and finally, the ceramic tiles by 0.594 pt. The global warming potential of ceramic tiles is 0.539 kg CO2, which is less than 74% of the global warming potential of marble tiles (2.01 kg CO2). The non-renewable energy impact of the marble tiles is (38.70 Mj primary), which is higher by 78% of the non-renewable energy of ceramic (8.46 Mj primary). Finally, the human health impact has recorded the highest numbers in the marble industry by 1.12E−5 DALY, which means the marble industry needs a high amount of energy. Ultimately, the findings of this study can potentially improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of construction projects by assisting decision-makers in selecting and applying environmentally friendly building materials.

Potential of Dried Red Palm Leaves as Sheet Interior Material

Red palm leaves only used as ornamental plants in the yard around the house, as they dry out and fall to the ground, they become unusable rubbish. Research has shown that red palm leaves are of high fiber quality. Red palm leaves are a good choice for furniture because they are durable and appealing in addition to having excellent fiber content and the level of quality[1]. This study seeks to serve as a resource of knowledge and a substitute for furniture craftsmen who want to utilize furniture mats made from leaf waste instead of wood or plastic. It can reduce the usage of inorganic resources that can harm the environment and nature through the use of materials from biological waste. Preparing tools and supplies, washing, drying, and shaping furniture mats are all steps in the process of creating organic furniture mats. Two parameters, namely the width of the palm leaf sheet with a size range of 2 cm and 3 cm, were identified as influences in this investigation [2]. The mechanical qualities of the red palm leaves used as the base for the organic furniture were tested, along with the leaves’ biodegradability and water permeability [3]. This is going to be a solution that may reduce waste from dried red palm tree leaves and work as a platform for furniture instead of using materials like wood and plastic that are bad for the environment.

The Effect of Environmentally Friendly Management of Interior Tile Material Companies on Corporate Image and Purchase Intention

The Effect of Environmentally Friendly Management of Interior Tile Material Companies on Corporate Image and Purchase Intention

Universal Jamming Gripper: Experimental Analysis on Envelope and Granular Materials

This article presents a materials optimization for the universal jamming gripper, one of the most versatile tools for robotic grasping. For this purpose, we analyze both the granular interior material and its surrounding deformable envelope. We combine four different granulate sizes (glass balls ranging from 0.2 to 1 mm) with four envelope materials (three silicones and latex), resulting in 16 prototype combinations. We use a tensile test machine to recreate the robot’s vertical movement in a real scenario situation. Thus, we can have precise control of the gripper’s immersion depth, forces, and displacements. Thanks to the tensile test, we extract the critical parameters to evaluate every material combination and the gripper’s performance. Therefore, we provide an experimental guide to selecting the right materials and rule out bad combinations for soft robots and specifically for the universal jamming gripper.

An experimental verification of fungal overgrowth in temporary houses at the site of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Fungal contamination in the indoor air of prefabricated temporary houses at the site of the Great East Japan Earthquake revealed extremely high levels compared to those found in conventional residences. We experimentally investigated fungal growth levels on different interior materials to support fungal overgrowth in prefabricated temporary houses. Three species each of allergenic fungi and invasive fungi observed in temporary housing were selected for inoculation tests with various interior materials. The experiments with fungal inoculation were conducted in conformance with standards for industrial products described in the Japanese" JIS Z 2911:2018 Methods of test for fungus resistance" with small modifications. After incubation, visual and stereomicroscopic assessments were performed to determine fungal growth levels. The viability of the fungi varied according to the interior material type. Our findings demonstrate the importance of antifungal measures in indoor environments and the need for additional research on the growth levels of fungal species on various interior materials.

Feeling good in People's House Absalon, Copenhagen: An enabling neighborhood gathering place

This paper focuses on urban micro public space and examines the intricate indoor environment through users’ experiences. Although studies have revealed the role of public spaces in facilitating social encounters and relationships, further empirical work and place-specific analyses are required for an in-depth understanding of how everyday places work in the context of wellbeing. Grounding in assemblage thinking, this study employs participant observation and 18 semi-structured interviews to explore the socio-material setting and enabling properties of the former church-turned neighborhood gathering place, People's House Absalon (Folkehuset Absalon) in Copenhagen. Though privately owned, rich public life takes place there every day, which shapes positive human experiences. The unique combination of price strategy, opening hours, and interior material setting appeals to wider generations and allows people to conduct everyday tasks in attendance with others. Simple co-presence in the shared context is considered the most valuable experience by the daytime users. It is associated with gentle feel-good moments, from which various levels of restorative benefits are attained at the user's own pace. However, personal preferences, geographical distance, and free time-related conditions signify a complex pathway to be “in” the place to exploit its wellbeing value. Therefore, further empirical work is encouraged to see beyond neighborhood enabling places as a single entity isolated from people's routinized practices.

Inovasi Ecollabo8 pada Sampah Plastik untuk Kebutuhan Interior

Plastic waste is one of the biggest causes of environmental pollution, especially soil and sea pollution. Proper management is needed to reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, waste management has not been able to reduce the impact of plastic waste by recycling and turning it into something more valuable. Ecollabo8 impact of plastic waste itself. It is necessary to process plastic waste that can be reused and increase the value of recycled products. Ecollabo8 is a community that aims to recycle plastic into interior materials, such as furniture, wall coverings, or materials for interior aesthetic elements. The purpose of this research is to provide information and references related to the processing of plastic waste from various categories so that it can become an interior material innovation by Ecollabo8. The research method used is the netnographic method by observing the activities and culture of Ecollabo8 through social media and online documentation.

Numerical Modeling of Aircraft Fire: Postcrash Fire

The Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) model was utilized in this study to replicate a full-scale aircraft postcrash experiment conducted within the C-133 test facility by the Federal Aviation Administration. FDS is a computational fire field model that incorporates submodels for soot formation, pyrolysis, and thermal radiation transport. It solves three-dimensional time-dependent Navier–Stokes equations and is grounded in the large-eddy simulation approach and the eddy dissipation concept, serving as turbulence and combustion models. The obtained results, including the heat release rate and temperature, were validated against experimental data and compared with earlier prediction studies employing different turbulence and combustion models. The results from this simulation closely align with the experiment’s findings. The impact of fire-blocking layers and carry-on baggage on interior material was examined. Moreover, two boundary conditions were imposed on the fuselage structure: 1) the adiabatic wall, and 2) heat loss within the wall. Both the fire-blocking layers and the adiabatic boundary condition played a significant role in the flashover occurrence. The large-eddy simulation and eddy dissipation concept approaches have demonstrated a reliable ability to predict flashover and general fire properties to a considerable extent.

Influence of Protic Ionic Liquid-Based Flame Retardant on the Flammability and Water Sorption of Alkalized Hemp Fiber-Reinforced PLA Composites.

This article investigates the effects of combining a novel protic ionic liquid-based fire retardant (FR) with alkalized hemp fiber. A pivotal importance of this study refers to the hydrophilic properties and limits regarding poor thermal resistance of green composites where standard guidelines for fire risks are crucial. Although it is well-studied that alkalization is essential for green composite's moisture and mechanical durability, research on the flammability of such a combined treatment for natural fiber-reinforced biopolymer composites is lacking. The alkaline treatment used in the current study follows a process already studied as optimal, particularly for the selected hemp fiber. The fire performance was examined using a bench scale approach based on self and piloted ignition from cone calorimeter tests. The result from the Fourier-transform infrared analysis of the hemp fiber confirms phosphorylation following the fire-retardant treatment, which was visible from the morphological examination with scanning electron microscope. The presence of FR in the composites led to impactful moisture sorption. However, the FR composites demonstrated an enhanced response to fire, indicating potential use as a Class B standard for building construction, and hazard level 3 (HL3) classification as an interior material in vehicles, provided the problem of high emission of smoke is mitigated.

The Effects of Interior Materials on the Restorativeness of Home Environments.

The effects of a restorative environment on attention restoration and stress reduction have received much attention in societies, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interior materials are a crucial environmental element influencing people's perceived restorativeness at home. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the links between interior materials and the restorativeness of home environments. To address this gap, this study aimed to investigate the restorative potential of interior materials among a sample of adults in China. Cross-sectional data from 85 participants whose professional majors were related to interior design were selected. The measures of the restorative potential of each interior material were obtained by a questionnaire adapted from the semantic differential method. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the restorative potential of interior materials. We found that glass material had the best restorative potential in home environments. Doubts were raised regarding wood material's restorativeness, and more consideration should be granted for designing a restorative home with wood material. In contrast, metal is not recommended for restorative home design. These findings contribute to the evidence of the restorative effects of home design.

Transmission Efficiency Limit for Nonlocal Metalenses

AbstractThe rapidly advancing capabilities in nanophotonic design are enabling complex functionalities limited mainly by physical bounds. The efficiency of transmission is a major consideration, but its ultimate limit remains unknown for most systems. This study introduces a matrix formalism that puts a fundamental bound on the channel‐averaged transmission efficiency of any passive multi‐channel optical system based only on energy conservation and the desired functionality, independent of the interior structure and material composition. Applying this formalism to diffraction‐limited nonlocal metalenses with a wide field of view shows that the transmission efficiency must decrease with the numerical aperture for the commonly adopted designs with equal entrance and output aperture diameters. It also shows that reducing the size of the entrance aperture can raise the efficiency bound. This study reveals a fundamental limit on the transmission efficiency as well as provides guidance for the design of high‐efficiency multi‐channel optical systems.

A water-based adhesive with polar recognition both for TPO substrate and WPU coating

Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) is widely used in automotive interior materials, but it has long been faced with the challenge of weak adhesion between water-based polyurethane (WPU) coating and substrate. Herein, chlorinated polypropylene (CPP) was grafted by styrene (St) firstly, then a water-based CPP adhesives with polar recognition both for non-polar TPO substrate and polar WPU coating were prepared via phase conversion methods, and the adhesives properties as well as the adhesive mechanism for different polar substrates were investigated. The introduction of polystyrene side-chain has improved the recognition ability of CPP adhesive to non-polar TPO substrate and the interaction force between interfaces. Compared with unmodified CPP adhesive, T-peeling strength of modified one has increased by 35 % and reached 24.2 N/cm, meeting the adhesive requirements of TPO as an automobile interior material. Adhesive mechanism study reveals that polar mutual recognition CPP adhesive plays a bridging role, one end recognizes the non-polar TPO substrate and another end recognizes the polar WPU surface coating, and forms a strong bond between the guest and the host through their respective interfacial force.

Application performance of bio-based plasticizer for PVC automotive interior material

Abstract The study aims to search for green, non-toxic bio-based plasticizers to replace traditional o-benzene petroleum-based plasticizers used in polyvinyl chloride films for automotive interior decoration. Three bio-based plasticizers – epoxy, polyester, and citrate were chosen and characterized based on refractive index, viscosity, and plasticizing efficiency. The three types of bio-based plasticizers were then applied to PVC films for automotive interiors. The odor rating, emission properties test, tensile test, dynamic thermomechanical test, low-temperature fatigue resistance test, and heat performance test were used to characterize the polyvinyl chloride film’s application properties. The results showed that the properties of epoxy plasticizer and polyester plasticizer are very close to those of traditional o-benzene petroleum-based plasticizers. In particular, polyvinyl chloride films prepared from polyester plasticizers have advantages in mechanical properties. The strength, elongation, and elasticity characteristics of PVC films plasticized with polyester bio-based plasticizer are 8.77 MPa, 533.92%, and 129.74 Nm, respectively. While the PVC films plasticized with epoxy bio-based plasticizer has an excellent heat resistance and aging resistance, with an initial gel temperature of 185.668 °C. However, the polyvinyl chloride film prepared with citrate plasticizer does not meet the requirements for application in automotive interiors due to its poor emission performance.

Utilization of artificial interior stone sludge as fine aggregate in controlled low-strength material (CLSM)

Artificial interior stone, also known as imitation marble, is a representative high-end building interior material, the market share of which has been gradually increasing. Thus, the amount of waste sludge generated by its manufacture has also been rapidly increasing. However, because of a lack of a specific recycling plan, this waste is presently being disposed of in landfills. This study was conducted with the objective of recycling sludge into a fine aggregate for a controlled low-strength material (CLSM). The physicochemical properties of the sludge were investigated through various analyses. Subsequently, the material properties of sludge-containing CLSM in terms of compressive strength, bleeding rate, water absorption, and heavy metal content were examined. Through a combination of genetic algorithm-based machine learning and experimental results, a model equation that can predict the compressive strength of a CLSM specimen according to material composition was developed. This research presents a novel approach to recycling waste sludge from interior stone production as a fine aggregate for CLSM, addressing both environmental concerns and waste management in the industry.

철도차량 내장재용 발열 복합재 라미네이트 패널 작동 내구성 평가

최근 코로나 바이러스(COVID –19) 대유행으로 인해 호흡기 질환에 대한 위험성 및 예방의 중요성이 크게 증가하였다. 특히, 대중교통 환경의 경우 삼밀(밀집, 밀접, 밀폐)환경으로 호흡기 바이러스 전파가 매우 용이한 환경이다. 철도차량의 경우도 예외는 아니며, 바이러스 확산 차단을 위해 다양한 노력을 기울이고 있지만, 근본적으로 철도차량의 난방 방식은 건조한 열풍을 강제로 순환시키는 공조 방식을 사용하고 있기 때문에 호흡기 바이러스에 매우 취약한 환경이다. 최근, 이를 해결하고자 철도차량 내장재로 사용되는 복합소재에 발열 기능을 추가하여 복사방식의 난방이 가능한 발열 복합재 라미네이트 개발 연구가 진행되었고 그 성능을 입증한 바 있다. 하지만, 복합재의 장기간 발열 시 지속적인 고온에 노출되어 층간 분리나 결함 등의 파손을 유발하고, 열적 혹은 기계적 성능에 영향을 미칠 가능성이 있다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 선행연구에서 개발된 발열 복합재 라미네이트 패널의 작동 내구성을 발열 성능 및 기계적 성능 관점에서 평가하였다.br/

A study on normal incident sound absorption characteristics of Japanese traditional cedar board, yakisugi

Yakisugi is made by charring the surface of a cedar board to form a thin carbonized layer, which is said to improve durability, weatherability and fire resistance. It is a traditional Japanese exterior material that has become popular overseas due to its performance and visual texture. Recently, it has been attracting attention for its use as an interior material, but its basic performance is still unknown. In this study, we focus on the sound absorption characteristics of yakisugi as one of the investigations to understand its performance as an interior material. The carbonized layer of yakisugi is expected to have sound absorbing performance because of its porous nature. As a basic investigation, the sound absorption characteristics at normal incidence are measured using an impedance tube and compared with the carbonized layer conditions. It is found that yakisugi has sound absorption performance in the high frequency range. Moreover, the characteristics are depending on the thickness and surface properties of the carbonized layer.

Acoustic Quality of Volcanic Rock Material for Interior Space Control and Design: Evidence from Teaching Space

A good school environment means that the campus environment formed by school buildings shows perfect overall characteristics and that various facilities included in the planning and design meet or surpass the demands of users in their education, living, and studying aspects. In this study, the learning space is taken as the research object to discuss the design method and value of using volcanic rock as a wall decoration material in space by carrying out sound test research on the volcanic rock material in the room. A sound field experiment was conducted based on the characteristics and principles of sound propagation in space combined with the design status quo of the teaching space and the acoustic environment in ordinary colleges and universities. Thus, the sound absorption effects of the volcanic rock used as the decoration material in teaching space and its advantages in this field were studied. The study results show that using volcanic rock in spatial design leads to better sound absorption effects than using other materials. In the future, it can be applied as an interior decoration material in spaces requiring acoustic control.

Digitalization of Interior Material Library to Enhance Teaching-Learning Process

Digitalization of Interior Material Library to Enhance Teaching-Learning Process