Device for measuring thermal conductivity of composites based on biomass waste

A standardized test bench has been designed, built and calibrated to determine the thermal conductivity of insulating building materials. The device, simple in design and economical, aims to become a replicable and useful tool for the development of multiple research on innovative materials based on waste or unvalued resources for the production of non-industrial and locally produced cheap thermal insulating materials which lead to the improvement of buildings energy efficiency. The main contribution of the test bench is the possibility of analyzing insulation compounds with more thickness and different formats thanks to the press design, which allows the setting and the pressure of the plates on the samples, holding these in the air and preventing any transmission by unwanted conduction.