Investigation on the thermal degradation, moisture absorption characteristics and antibacterial behavior of natural insulation materials

Abstract

The demand for natural insulation materials is increasing with special attention to the use of such materials for exploiting renewable energy. Natural insulation materials tremendously influence the sustainability development and energy efficiency enhancement in the buildings. Natural fibers from animal’s origin absorb great amount of moisture on exposed to the environment which significantly affects the performance and thermal insulation properties. The thermal degradation of such material strongly influences the accidental burning characteristics, an important selection criteria for building materials. In the present study, three different kind of natural insulation materials namely sheep wool, goat wool and horse mane have been characterized in terms of moisture absorption, thermal degradation and morphology using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry techniques, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. In addition, antibacterial behavioral study has been also carried out for untreated raw wool and treated wool (copper nitrate). These properties are vital for a holistic evaluation of the insulation material. Moisture absorption results indicate that the sheep wool and goat wool absorb less moisture content as compared to horse mane. Unlike this horse mane shows great stability than goat wool and sheep wool in the temperature range not exceeding 470 °C. TGA data indicate 50% mass loss (T50%) at 306 °C, 322 °C and 318 °C for sheep wool, goat wool and horse mane, respectively. In addition the tests show that the content of fire retardant elements like nitrogen and sulphur is more in horse mane as compared to sheep wool and goat wool. The treated wool samples showed excellent antibacterial properties as compared to untreated wool samples.

A Comprehensive Study on Net Zero Energy Buildings and Sustainable Construction Materials with Low Carbon Contents

“…The use of renewable energy as a source of electricity or heat generation is a sector worth paying attention to because of the high energy demands of high-rises and their significant surface area exposed to solar radiation [18]. Reducing reliance on fossil fuels as a source of energy generation may also be greatly aided by the use of renewable energies in HRBs that already exist, particularly residential ones.…”

Foam processability of polypropylene/sisal fiber composites having near‐critical fiber length for acoustic absorption properties

“…Fibrous materials, such as glass/rock wool and natural fibers, and highly porous materials, such as foams of polymers, aluminium, and cement are often used as sound‐absorbing materials 1 . However, glass/rock wools are harmful to health and may be carcinogenic too 2 thus, natural fibers and polymer foams are gaining attention as sound‐absorbing materials. The sound absorption coefficient is used to evaluate the efficiency of noise reduction for sound‐absorbing materials, and the coefficient value is affected by the closed cell to open cell ratio, porosity and pore size distribution in the material 1,3–7 …”

Investigation of Acoustic Efficiency of Wood Charcoal in Impedance Tube for Usage in Sound-Reflective Devices

“…Using natural materials for insulation such as sheep wool, goat wool, and horse mane is one of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gases and provide better thermal comfort. Due to their porous structure and low density (for example, goat wool has a density of 269.874 kg/m 3 ), natural materials also have good acoustic properties [13][14][15]. Ayaz et al showed that natural materials have better environmental aspects and efficiency than conventional materials.…”