Thermomechanical Performance Assessment of Sustainable Buildings' Insulating Materials under Accelerated Ageing...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Building Physics
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Accurate characterization of insulation materials under environmental conditions is vital for building performance.
• Material properties like thermal conductivity can be affected by moisture, temperature, and aging.
• Recycled rubber-based insulation materials require thorough evaluation for building applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the thermomechanical behavior of various insulation materials, including those with recycled rubber, under accelerated aging conditions.
• To evaluate the impact of different aging cycles (dry-heat, humid-heat, cold) on material properties.
• To assess the suitability of novel aerogel-rubber composites against conventional materials.

Main Methods:

• Subjecting diverse insulation materials (rubber composites, aerogels, extruded polystyrene) to accelerated aging cycles of 3 and 6 weeks.
• Implementing aging stages including dry-heat, humid-heat, and cold conditions.
• Comparing thermomechanical properties (thermal conductivity, Young's modulus, deformation) post-aging with initial values.

Main Results:

• Aerogel-based materials exhibited superinsulation properties and maintained good flexibility.
• Extruded polystyrene showed low thermal conductivity but suffered permanent deformation under compression.
• Aging generally caused a minor, reversible increase in thermal conductivity and a reduction in Young's moduli across most materials.

Conclusions:

• Aerogel composites offer excellent thermal insulation and mechanical stability, even after aging.
• While extruded polystyrene is a viable insulator, its susceptibility to deformation limits its application scope.
• The study highlights the resilience of advanced insulation materials, particularly aerogels, to environmental stressors.