abstract
Reduction of the energy consumption and CO2 emissions by the building sector might be a huge driver to mitigate climate change. One promising approach to mitigate energy consumption is the use of lightweight and low thermal-conductivity materials that could reduce the energy losses inside buildings and at the same time the use of heating and cooling devices that generate associated CO2 emissions. In this study, different strategies to produce lightweight and low thermal conductivity inorganic polymers were evaluated and compared, including the first ever production of bi-layered porous/cork-containing waste-based inorganic polymer composites. The bi-layered composites showed the lowest density (461 kg/m(3)) and thermal conductivity (94.9 mW/m K) values and reasonable compressive strength (0.93 MPa) demonstrating their interesting potential for enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings. Moreover, these composites were produced at room temperature, using an industrial waste (biomass fly ash) as precursor and a highly sustainable and renewable resource as light aggregate (cork), preventing the depletion of natural resources and the use of fossil-fuel derivates, respectively.
keywords
ASH-BASED GEOPOLYMER; THERMAL-CONDUCTIVITY; ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT; INSULATING PROPERTIES; FOAM CONCRETE; SILICA-FUME; CORK; PERFORMANCE; POROSITY; MORTARS
subject category
Chemistry; Engineering; Materials Science; Physics
authors
Novais, RM; Senff, L; Carvalheiras, J; Labrincha, JA
our authors
João António de Sousa Carvalheiras
PhD Student
João António Labrincha Baptista
Full professor
Rui Miguel Novais
Assistant Professoracknowledgements
This research was funded by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), grant number CEECIND/00335/2017 (R. Novais) and SFRH/BD/144562/2019 (J. Carvalheiras). This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 and UIDP/50011/2020, financed by national funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology/MCTES.