Thermal insulating products. Factory made products of expanded polystyrene (EPS). Voluntary certification of the raw material

Eco-friendly cushioning materials were made with thermomechanical pulps (TMPs) from waste woods collected from local mountains in Korea, using a suction-forming method without physical pressing. The TMP cushions had superior shock-absorbing performance, with lower elastic moduli than expanded polystyrene (EPS) or molded pulp. Even though the TMP cushions made using various suction times had many voids in their inner fiber structure, their apparent densities were a little higher than that of EPS and much lower than that of molded pulp. The addition of cationic starch contributed to an increase in the elastic modulus of the TMP cushions without increasing the apparent density, an effect which was different from that of surface sizing with starch. In the impact test, the TMP cushions showed a more ductile pattern than the brittle EPS. The porosity of the TMP cushion was a little less than that of EPS and much greater than that of molded pulp. The porous structure of the TMP cushions contributed to their excellent thermal insulating capacity, which was equivalent to that of EPS. In summary, the TMP packing cushions showed great potential for surviving external impacts during product distribution.

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The Cause Detection and Analysis of the Surface Cracks on ETIRS

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.71-78.4533 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 71-78 ◽

pp. 4533-4539

Author(s):

Ju Gang Luo

Keyword(s):

Thermal Insulation ◽

Basic Concept ◽

Structure Design ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Surface Cracks ◽

Insulation System ◽

Construction Quality ◽

Thermal Insulating ◽

Insulation Wall

The cause detection and analysis have been made over the surface cracks of external thermal insulating rendering systems made of mortar with bonding powder and using expanded polystyrene granule as aggregate (ETIRS) by means of integrating the basic concept of the cracks and actual project practices, on the basis of structure design, materials performances and construction. The result shows that the major causes for surface cracks, the hazardous ones are caused by poor construction quality. In order to guarantee the quality of external thermal insulation wall, the structure design of the said thermal insulation system shall be underlined and building quality on the key parts, stressed.

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Numerical Simulation of Thermal Comfort Performance in a Room with Different Insulating Materials Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.650.29 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 650 ◽

pp. 29-37

Author(s):

A. Aravind Kumar ◽

B. Nagesh Babu ◽

S. Somya

Keyword(s):

Fluid Dynamics ◽

Numerical Simulation ◽

Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Temperature Cycle ◽

Fine Grid ◽

Insulating Materials ◽

Thermal Insulating

Numerical simulation studies are carried out for improvement of energy efficiency in a room by with different thermal insulating materials using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The study considered various building insulating materials (BIM’s) such as: (a) Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) (b) Fiber Glass (Resin bonded (RB)-Glass wool) (c) Polyurethane Foam (PUF) and (d) Cement Plaster (CP) along with composite bricklayer combination. A multi-physical 3D model room of size 2.6 m × 2.6 m × 2.6 m is created to analyze the performance of different insulating materials using CFD simulations. The experimental data of 24 hr temperature cycle of the ambient air is used for the analysis of performance of thermal comfort inside the room with the incorporation of different thickness of the insulating materials. The thickness of insulation 0.03, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 m is applied on interior side of walls and roof of the building. The study performed with different grid sensitiveness for coarse, medium and fine meshes for the improvement in the accuracy of the results. The fine grid mesh analysis is chosen to carry the further studies to compare the insulated and non-insulated condition for the thermal behavior inside the room. The result shows that the thermal conductivity and heat capacity of insulated walls are very important to be taken into account for carrying out detailed thermal analysis of buildings. The studies are carried out using commercial CFD tool of ANSYS CFX 15.0. The results of comparison shows that it is possible to maintain needed thermal comfort conditions in the room while reducing the total energy consumptions at the same time by appropriate use of BIM’s.

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Tactical Innovation to Incorporate Post-Consumer Expanded Polystyrene in Artisanal Chains for the Doping of Products

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132312963 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (23) ◽

pp. 12963

Author(s):

Nayeli Montalvo-Romero ◽

Aarón Montiel-Rosales ◽

Gregorio Fernández-Lambert ◽

Fabiola Sánchez-Galván ◽

Horacio Bautista-Santos

Keyword(s):

Value Chain ◽

State Of The Art ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Point Of View ◽

Raw Material ◽

Short Life ◽

Subjective Analysis ◽

Contour Graph ◽

Negative Environmental Impact

In its original manufacturing purpose, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is an industrial product with a short life cycle and waste with high negative environmental impact. Given this externality, this article contributes to the state of the art by proposing reuse EPS as a raw material valuable to the process of manufacturing hats in a Mexican company. The SCAMPER technique is used to formulate a hardener, which is optimized with a Taguchi design. Statistically, there is no difference between the quality of the conventional hardener and the mixture based on post-consumer EPS to make hats based on the standards defined by the company; a subjective analysis supported by the judgment of experts validates the quality of the hats. A contour graph and response surface reflect different combinations of solute and solvent to formulate the glue for the doping of the hat, with the same hardness results. This allows the artisan to assess the formulation from an economical point of view, as well as with respect to the arrangement of materials. These results specifically propose the sustainable alternative of integrating waste from the post–consumer EPS chain into the artisanal hat value chain, and are replicable to other similar products.

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The role of voluntary certification in maintaining the ecologically unequal exchange of wood pulp: the Forest Stewardship Council's certification of industrial tree plantations in Brazil

Journal of Political Ecology ◽

10.2458/v23i1.20247 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 434 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jutta Kill

Keyword(s):

Economic Cost ◽

Pulp And Paper ◽

Raw Material ◽

Tree Plantations ◽

Forest Stewardship Council ◽

Certification Scheme ◽

Unequal Exchange ◽

Voluntary Certification ◽

Forest Stewardship

Voluntary certification schemes have grown in popularity since the late 1980s. Today, a large number of consumer items from coffee and chocolate to oil palm and soya products carry labels that supposedly attest their contribution to promoting fair trade or a reduction of negative environmental impacts. Many printed books, magazines and other paper products carry a label promising 'environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable' management of the tree plantations that deliver the raw material for the pulp and paper from which these products are made. This article explores the role that one such voluntary certification scheme used by the pulp and paper sector plays in maintaining ecologically unequal exchange. Would ecologically unequal exchange in a certified product cease to exist if the voluntary certification schemes available for pulp and paper products were to become the norm, instead of just catering to a niche market? If the answer to that hypothetical question is 'no' – which it is – then the question that arises is: what role does the voluntary certification scheme play in upholding ecologically unequal exchange? This article explores the role of one particular voluntary certification scheme – by the Forest Stewardship Council – in maintaining ecologically unequal exchange in the trade of pulp products between industrialised countries with a relatively high per-capital consumption of pulp and paper products and the global South, in this case Brazil. It shows how, from the perspective of communities who bear the ecological, social and economic cost of industrial tree plantations and who oppose further expansion of these plantations, voluntary certification schemes have (inadvertently?) helped tilt the balance of power even further in favour of corporate interests for expansion. An unacknowledged imbalance of power between corporations and the certification schemes, on the one hand, and communities and their allies, on the other, has become manifest and aids further expansion of industrial tree plantations for production of pulp for export, thus contributing to maintaining ecologically unequal exchange.Key words: certification; commodity chains; conflicts; consumption; ecologically unequal exchange; environmental justice; Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), industrial tree plantations; pulp and paper; resistance struggles

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A Recycling Alternative for Expanded Polystyrene Residues Using Natural Esters

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1168206/v1 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Luisa V. García-Barrera ◽

Dafne L. Ortega-Solís ◽

Gabriela Soriano-Giles ◽

Nazario López ◽

Fernando Romero-Romero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Problem ◽

Good Alternative ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Raw Material ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Scanning Calorimetry ◽

Fishing Activity ◽

Polystyrene Waste ◽

Recovered Material

Abstract The objective of this research is to provide a new recycling method for one of the most consumed plastics today, since it is used for the manufacture of a wide variety of industrial products, which leads to an environmental problem caused by incorrect handling and final disposal.The dissolution of expanded polystyrene waste (WEP) was evaluated by using natural esters for its post treatment and recovery. The use of omega-3 as a natural solvent creates an opportunity to take advantage of natural biomass, since it can be obtained from the residues from the fishing activity, this being an economic advantage for obtaining raw material and also friendly with the environment.For the development of this research, expanded polystyrene containers were used, as well as omega-3 and glyceryl tributyrate as natural solvents and ethyl butyrate as synthetic solvent, methanol and isopropanol for recovery and cleaning of the polystyrene. The characterization of the recovered material was carried out with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The experimental data obtained indicated that the use of these esters is a good alternative for the recycling of expanded polystyrene.

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Influence of Particle Size on the Properties of Boards Made from Washingtonia Palm Rachis with Citric Acid

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12124841 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 4841

Author(s):

Maria Teresa Ferrandez-Garcia ◽

Antonio Ferrandez-Garcia ◽

Teresa Garcia-Ortuño ◽

Clara Eugenia Ferrandez-Garcia ◽

Manuel Ferrandez-Villena

Keyword(s):

Thermal Conductivity ◽

Particle Size ◽

Citric Acid ◽

Thermal Insulation ◽

Single Layer ◽

Raw Material ◽

Modulus Of Rupture ◽

Plant Fibers ◽

Thermal Insulating ◽

Ecological Resources

The manufacture of technical materials of mineral and synthetic origin currently used for thermal insulation in buildings consumes a large amount of energy and they are not biodegradable. In order to reduce the environmental problems generated by their manufacture, an increasing amount of research is being carried out on the use of renewable and ecological resources. Consequently, the use of plant fibers and natural adhesives in the development of new thermal insulating products is increasing worldwide. Palm trees were used as a replacement for wood in some traditional constructions in places with scarce wood resources. This paper discusses the use of palm pruning waste in the manufacture of particleboards, using citric acid as a natural binder. Five particle sizes of Washingtonia palm rachis were used as the raw material for manufacturing the boards and the citric acid content was set at 10% by weight, in relation to the weight of the rachis particles. Single-layer agglomerated panels were made, applying a pressure of 2.6 MPa and a temperature of 150 °C for 7 min. Twenty panels were produced and their density, thickness swelling, water absorption, modulus of rupture, internal bonding strength and thermal conductivity properties were studied. Smaller particle size resulted in better mechanical properties. The boards had an average thermal conductivity of 0.084 W/m·K, meaning that these boards could be used for thermal insulation in buildings.

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Advanced Fabrication of Lightweight Aerogels from Fly Ash for Thermal Insulation

Science & Technology Development Journal - Engineering and Technology ◽

10.32508/stdjet.v3i4.786 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. first

Author(s):

Nga Hoang Nguyen Do ◽

Huy Gia Tran ◽

Huong Ly Xuan Doan ◽

Nghiep Quoc Pham ◽

Kien Anh Le ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Conductivity ◽

Fly Ash ◽

Mineral Wool ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Value Engineering ◽

High Porosity ◽

Thermal Insulating ◽

Coffee Grounds ◽

First Time ◽

Good Heat

For the first time, an environmentally friendly and effective procedure to produce high-value engineering aerogels from fly ash (FA) has been developed by dispersing FA particles into a mixture of biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), followed by freezedrying. The effect of FA content on the physical properties, morphology, mechanical strength, and thermal conductivity of FA aerogels is also studied comprehensively. The lightweight FA aerogels show a low density of 0.072 – 0.093 g/cm3 with high porosity of 94.94 – 95.78%. The morphology of aerogels shows the uniform distribution of FA particles in PVA-CMC matrixes that creates a porous structure with a pore size of 2-5 mm. Therefore, the FA aerogels exhibit good heat insulation with extremely low thermal conductivity of 0.040 – 0.047 W/m.K at ambient temperature and pressure that is comparable to some commercial insulation materials such as mineral wool, fiberglass, expanded polystyrene, and other silica-based aerogels from waste. Moreover, the compressive modulus of FA aerogels is about 67.73 – 254.75 kPa indicating their excellent mechanical properties under 1 kN vertical compression. The experimental results indicate the significant better durability of FA aerogels than that of previous aerogels from other wastes such as sugarcane bagasse (88 kPa), pineapple leaf fibers (1.64 – 5.34 kPa), recycled polyethylene terephthalate (1.16 – 2.87 kPa), spent coffee grounds (5.41 – 15.62 kPa), and silica – cellulose (86 – 169 kPa). It is concluded that FA aerogels are a promising candidate as a lightweight thermal insulating material.

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Recovery and Incorporation of expanded polystyrene SolidWaste in Lightweight Concrete

Ingeniería ◽

10.14483/23448393.15681 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 237-249

Author(s):

María Paula Espinoza-Merchán ◽

Laura Juliana Torres-Parra ◽

Nicolas Rojas-Arias ◽

Pablo Miguel Coha-Vesga

Keyword(s):

Coarse Aggregate ◽

Lightweight Concrete ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Raw Material ◽

Low Density ◽

Chemical Attack ◽

High Consumption ◽

Chemical Agents ◽

Concrete Failure ◽

Attack Process

Context: The high consumption of parts made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) generates environmental problems when disposed. Due to its low density and the low possibility of being utilized in other applications after its disposal, it is necessary to generate an alternative for the recovery and application of this type of waste. This work aims to generate an alternative in the application of EPS waste, particularly as a coarse aggregate in the manufacturing of lightweight concrete. Method: This study used discarded EPS containers as raw material. The material was cleaned, crushed and subsequently reduced in volume by applying acetone, generating pieces of polystyrene (R-PS) to be applied as a coarse aggregate for the manufacturing of lightweight concrete in different proportions. In addition, the pieces were subjected to a chemical attack process in order to observe their behavior. Results: The results show the degree of volume reduction of the EPS pieces by using different acetone ratios, establishing the best degree of reduction (in volume) of this material. Likewise, chemical attack tests show the behavior of R-PS against different agents in R-PS samples. Meanwhile, the failure tests on different concrete samples determine the best R-PS ratio as coarse aggregate for the manufacturing of lightweight concrete. Conclusions: The data obtained in this study show that the application of acetone on EPSW samples reduces its volume by up to 55 %. Concrete failure tests show that an optimum P-RS addition value, to be used as an aggregate in the manufacturing of lightweight concrete, is 7 %. This improves its resistance to chemical agents and weight reduction without significantly reducing the mechanical properties of concrete.

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