Natural Straw–Hemp-Reinforced Hybrid Insulation Materials

Abstract

Biogenic thermal insulation materials are gaining immense attention for sustainable building material development due to their low carbon storage nature and operational carbon reduction. However, enhanced structural insulation performance and improved circularity are indispensable to realize such promising potential. Here, we report a nature-inspired gradient anisotropic structure from silica aerogel-reinforced cellulose nanocomposites derived from natural hemp and straw fibers. The as-prepared gradient composites show a thermal conductivity of 30.6 mW/m.K and a flexural modulus of 780 MPa, while exhibiting superhydrophobicity and superior reusability. The anisotropic gradient materials show great potential for the development of sustainable building insulation materials.

Sacrifice Few to Save Many: Fire Protective Interlayers in Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Laminates

“…Hemp fibers demonstrated excellent thermal isolation properties within the laminate structure and failed after 75 s, which is comparable to the laminate with a ceramic layer and rubber mat (CFRP/Ceramic/Rubber), which failed after 72 s. Notably, the laminates with hemp fibers, which were the thickest laminates, experienced a reduced heating rate compared to the other laminate systems, showcasing the lowest rate of temperature elevation during the fire resistance test. It has been already observed by Dahal 50 and Sarkar 51 that hemp fibers have very good insulation properties; thus, they are often used in buildings as an insulating material. Overall, the experimental outcomes demonstrate that integrating the CFRP laminate with natural fibers like hemp and basalt mat presents a compelling prospect for use in scenarios demanding enhanced fire resistance.…”