HempSil Board - a low carbon breathable insulating plasterboard

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**Material Research Ltd** has developed a novel bio-based insulation material that utilises locally grown hemp as the insulating material, held together with a patent pending binder. This material, trade marked HempSil, has already been licensed for use as the moisture buffering insulation within a pre-fabricated construction solution comprising a breathable thermal envelope, cladding, internal walls, internal finishes and MEP services. The Natural Building System requires a breathable board to provide a fire resistant layer and to support the internal finishes and currently the only available materials are cement based woodwool materials which have relatively high embodied energy and are heavy and awkward to handle.This project is a feasibility study to create a replacement for imported woodwool boards which will make use of a waste stream from the production of biodiesel, combined with locally grown hemp.Hemp is an annual crop which bio-remediates contaminated soil, improves soil structure and nutrient levels and can lead to greater yields in follow-on crops. Most importantly hemp is a growing industry which empowers small communities by providing local manufacturing and industry employment.The combination of these two materials will result in a low density breathable acoustic and thermal insulation board with a very low environmental impact. A 25mm thick 2m x 600mm board will weigh around 6kg and would have a thermal conductivity of 60mW/mK.The proposal is to develop this material, using known technology, through to prototype full scale boards.Benefits from this novel board include:* Supply chain resilience with no reliance on imported raw materials or finished goods* Growth in local employment* Valorisation of an industrial waste-stream* Improved ease of use on site through lower unit weights* Improved thermal performance of buildings