The development of composite materials from alternative raw materials, and the design of their properties for the intended purpose is an integral part of the rational management of raw materials and waste recycling. The submitted paper comprehensively assesses the physical and mechanical properties of sandwich composite material made from particles of winter rapeseed stalks, geopolymer and reinforcing basalt lattices. The developed composite panel is designed for use as a filler in constructions (building or building joinery). The observed properties were: bending characteristics, internal bonding, thermal conductivity coefficient and combustion characteristics. The results showed that the density of the particleboard has a significant effect on the resulting mechanical properties of the entire sandwich panel. On the contrary, the density of the second layer of the sandwich panel, geopolymer, did not have the same influence on its mechanical properties as the density of the particleboard. The basalt fibre reinforcement lattice positively affected the mechanical properties of sandwich composites only if it was sufficiently embedded in the structure of the particle board. All of the manufactured sandwich composites resisted flame for more than 13 min and the fire resistance was positively affected by the density of the geopolymer layer.

The submitted paper deals with the physical and mechanical properties of geopolymer composite materials reinforced with natural fibres. For this study, we aimed to develop a geopolymer composite reinforced with long flax fibres, which were implemented in the geopolymer in the form of a nonwoven fabric that reinforced the structure of the geopolymer over the entire thickness of the board. In order to compare the properties of the developed composite with natural fibres, a geopolymer without fibres and a geopolymer reinforced with basalt fibres were also produced. The monitored mechanical properties were impact bending, bending strength and compressive strength. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and microscopic analysis were also carried out. The results clearly showed the positive effect of the addition of natural fibres on impact bending and bending strength. However, the addition of natural fibres in the form of a nonwoven fabric significantly increased the variability of the properties of the developed composites. In addition, a different pattern of joint failure was noted between geopolymer reinforced with flax fibres and geopolymer reinforced with basalt fibres.

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This paper deals with the development and characteristics of the properties of a permeable water-resistant heat insulation panel based on recycled materials. The insulation panel consists of a thermal insulation core of recycled soft polyurethane foam and winter wheat husk, a layer of geopolymer that gives the entire sandwich composite strength and fire resistance, and a nanofibrous membrane that permits water vapor permeability, but not water in liquid form. The observed properties are the thermal conductivity coefficient, volumetric heat capacity, fire resistance, resistance to long-term exposure of a water column, and the tensile strength perpendicular to the plane of the board. The results showed that while the addition of husk to the thermal insulation core does not significantly impair its thermal insulation properties, the tensile strength perpendicular to the plane of these boards was impaired by the addition of husk. The geopolymer layer increased the fire resistance of the panel for up to 13 min, and the implementation of the nanofibrous membrane resulted in a water flow of 154 cm2 in the amount of 486 g of water per 24 h at a water column height of 0.8 m.

The presented paper is divided into two levels. On the first level, the research is focused on development of a material that includes a smart fabric membrane (nanofiber) and is waterproof and vapour-permeable. On the second level, it deals with the development of an apparatus which is able to evaluate the resistance of the building composite against water. A new device is presented that can measure how waterproof the building material is, with a thickness between five to 20 centimetres. The tested samples are in the shape of a square or circle, they have a width of 20 centimetres, or a diameter of 20 centimetres. All of the building composite samples were tested using a water column that is one meter high. Experiments simulate floods on this new apparatus. It was found that materials can be evaluated not only according to the amount of water flow per unit of time, but also according to the shape of the flow curves.