DETERMINATION OF THE DENSITY OF ORGANIC RAW MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BIO THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

Abstract

The construction sector is moving towards new energy-efficient design approaches, which include not only improving the thermal performance of structures, but also reducing the energy used. The development of thermal insulation materials based on crop production waste contributes to such approaches, as their use can lead to a reduction in both energy demand and use, along with other beneficial environmental aspects, such as reducing the depletion of non-renewable resources and the generation of waste. To date, there are several commercial examples of the use of biomaterials in construction, which are mostly based on industrial fibers (flax, hemp, kenaf, etc.), wood or sheep's wool. The use of by-products of food crops is less common, but can be an interesting alternative for some countries, such as Ukraine, where industrial fiber production is very small. These by-products, especially cereal straw, have been and are increasingly being used in construction as reinforcement for composite materials, decking, interior partitions, or structural overlays. This study proposes their use in thermal insulation of buildings. The study is aimed at studying the possibility of using by-products available in Ukraine for the development of rigid thermal insulation boards. As a result, three widely available plant by-products (barley straw, corn kernel and rice husk) were selected for development. Density and porosity are probably the most important physical properties when evaluating the hygrothermal characteristics of materials. Studies were performed before and after knocking out for each particle size by mass and volume. The test was repeated eight times for each sample. The open porosity within the particles together with the interparticle space was then calculated as 1 – bulk density/apparent density. The results clearly show the difference in porosity and particle shapes between the materials: while the apparent density is similar, the bulk density varies much more.