Investigation on the thermal insulation properties of lightweight biocomposites based on lignocellulosic residues and natural polymers

Due to their advantages (low cost, non-toxic, biodegradable, abundant, low density and very good mechanical properties), the lignocellulosic residues were widely used in the last time as reinforcements in composite materials with applications in the building industry. Besides these wastes, expanded perlite (EP) and natural polymers are promising candidates for the building industry, based on their specific characteristics and economic advantages. In this article, the results are presented regarding the thermal insulation properties of composite materials based on EP and natural polymers (starch polymer matrix reinforced with lignocellulosic wastes). The samples of composite materials were obtained from the laboratory and characterized in terms of the main specific properties of building materials, such as thermal conductivity/resistance, water absorption capacity, apparent density and image analyses by scanning electron microscopy. The obtained results have highlighted the values for thermal conductivity of composite samples between 0.05 and 0.11 (W/mK), similar to those materials currently used in building thermal insulation.