Promising biomass waste–derived insulation materials for application in construction and buildings

Abstract

Current insulation materials applied in construction engineering and the building industry are generally petrochemical-based polymers and recycled thermal insulation materials. The environmental effects of these materials’ production processes are substantial, despite their high thermal insulation performance. Consequently, the researchers conclude that it is essential to develop and produce insulating materials with superior thermal properties, minimal environmental impact, and a reasonable cost. The study concentrated on the application of insulation materials derived from biomass in the development of thermal insulation. The purpose of this review is to investigate and develop the possibilities of using biomass wastes as renewable and eco-friendly thermal insulation materials for construction engineering and the building industry. The thermal conductivity of those materials was measured using the hot plate and hot box methods, two of the most widely used hot processing methods. With a relatively low thermal conductivity (< 0.100 W·m−1·K−1), this review provides critical scientific insight into potential building insulation materials derived from biodegradable and abundant resources. It was observed that these materials are appealing for use in building and construction because they have a number of potential advantages from technical, economic, environmental, and green credentials perspectives. The collection of information enables some conclusions regarding the different biomass waste–derived insulation materials that have already been investigated and identifies gaps in the literature. Finally, the scope of commercialization pathways and future research directions to validate the proposed material alternatives’ claim for commercial-scale applications has been identified in this review. Graphical Abstract