Innovative Thermal and Acoustic Insulation Foams from Recycled Fiberglass Waste

Abstract

This study examines a lightweight thermal and acoustic insulation material, produced starting from a hydrogel‐based mixture composed by renewable biopolymer and fiberglass waste powders. The gel 3D porous network is preserved after water removal by sublimation, resulting in a lightweight thermal and acoustic insulation material with good overall performance. Mechanical, thermal, and acoustic properties can be tuned as a function of biopolymer and additives concentration. This material addresses environmental concerns both in terms of secondary raw sources use and fiberglass waste disposal. Moreover, contrary to mineral wools currently on the market, it can overcome the problem of fiber release, with significant human health benefits. Thanks to its good properties and its fabrication process based on a circular economy approach, it can be appealing for thermal and acoustic insulating applications in building and industrial sectors and also in terms of environmental footprint.

Scleroglucan-Based Foam Incorporating Recycled Rigid Polyurethane Waste for Novel Insulation Material Production

“…These PU scraps underwent a mechanical grinding process, followed by screening and sieving to obtain a fine powder with particle sizes less than 200 µm. The production of foam was conducted using a sol-gel process, following partially a procedure previously documented [19][20][21]. In brief, a sol was prepared by mixing SG with water, PU powder and a plasticizer (PVP, glycerol or a combination of both-see Table 1 for composition details), obtaining a sol.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, low-temperature production methods without the use of blowing agents are not currently available for this type of material. In recent works, we successfully incorporated glass and fiberglass waste into an open-cell foam structure using alginate as the biopolymer [19][20][21]. However, we faced limitations in including other types of powdered waste, such as rigid PU powder, bricks or other stone-derived construction waste.…”