Energy efficient bio-based natural fibre insulation

对我们使用的建筑物的要求正在发生变化。减少房屋和办公室供暖所用的能源是当务之急，隔热可以帮助实现这一目标。然而，改善隔音、热质量、室内空气质量和防止结露也成为建筑业的当务之急。可以开发哪些解决方案来满足这些新的优先事项？一种可能的选择是更广泛地使用创新的绝缘材料，这些材料是由可再生的生物资源制成的。这些产品提供了改善建筑物热性能以及应对这些新挑战的潜力。此外，这些新材料还可以储存二氧化碳，帮助减少全球变暖的可能性。该项目着眼于提高商业化生产的生物基绝缘材料的技术性能。一项关键的技术发展是收集有关功能性能的数据。在一些实际和理论的湿热场景下，通过改变湿度和温度来复制墙壁和屋顶应用中的冬季和夏季条件，对性能进行了测试。通过开发新的原型，并根据标准进行测试，实现了技术性能的改进。成功的原型随后由财团合作伙伴全面生产。成功包括对现有产品的改进，并导致一种新的绝缘材料引入英国市场。该项目展示了天然绝缘材料缓冲湿气的有效能力。这种能力有助于控制室内空气质量。随着建筑物变得更加密闭，建筑物中的冷凝是一个越来越令人担忧的领域。如果通风不充分，这可能会导致湿度水平的增加。了解和量化绝缘材料在这方面的性能是一个关键的性能指标。在项目期间，测量了与水分有关的性能，包括吸水率和抗蒸汽扩散能力。对生物隔热材料和非生物隔热材料进行了湿热对比试验，以确定隔热材料界面发生间隙冷凝的可能性。在这些测试中，观察到矿棉绝缘比生物基绝缘更早发生冷凝。研究发现，生物隔热层通过吸附和/或吸收降低了水蒸气压力，从而防止了冷凝。进一步的测试模拟了阁楼空间和墙壁中的条件。实验工作再次表明，生物隔热材料能够应对潮湿环境，并能够减少空气中的水分。项目结果表明，生物隔热材料可以在降低湿度水平方面发挥积极作用，从而降低墙体或阁楼的结露风险和程度。实验工作也表明，电导率测量不能给出实际性能的准确指示。项目合作伙伴深入了解了隔热材料在建筑物中的现场和条件下的表现。这些结果表明，在动态条件下，生物基绝缘材料的性能优于传统合成材料。建筑物内的空气质量是另一个日益受到关注的领域。一些建筑材料可能对挥发性有机化合物(VOC)的组成有影响。有证据表明，由羊毛制成的生物基绝缘材料可能有助于改善室内环境。在该项目期间，收集了关于羊毛纤维选择性吸收甲醛等VOCs的能力的测试数据。这一领域的进一步工作正在继续与财团合作。市场发展研究还确定了更多使用生物基绝缘材料的障碍。规划控制、建筑细节、供应链和技术性能等法律问题都被考虑在内。这些信息将被用来开发更好的进入市场的渠道，更好地推广生物基绝缘材料的使用。这项研究还发现，关键障碍是缺乏可靠的、非商业的可靠信息来源。该项目将通过广泛发布该项目产生的所有测试数据来解决这一问题，这些数据将在网上提供，并将公开传播。该项目的另一个成果是，该财团帮助建立了一个新的非营利性跨部门组织，称为可持续建筑产品联盟(ASBP)。该协会希望通过ASBP成立一个技术委员会来研究“绿色建筑产品”的标准。该协会认为，如果政府要真正在2016年前实现碳中和建筑的目标(如可持续住宅规范中所规定的那样)，那么就需要做出巨大的改进。使用更好、更可持续的材料至关重要，天然纤维绝缘材料可以帮助实现这些目标。

The demands on the buildings we use are changing. Reducing the energy used to heat our houses and offices is a priority and thermal insulation can help to achieve this aim. However, improvements in sound insulation, thermal mass, indoor air quality and the prevention of condensation are also becoming priotities within the construction sector. What solutions can be developed to meet these new priorities? One possible option is the wider use of innovative insulation materials that are made from renewable, bio-based resources. These products offer the potential of improving a buildings thermal performance as well as meeting these new challenges. In addition these new materials can also store CO2 and help reduce global warming potential.This project looked at ways to improve the technical performance of commercially made bio-based insulation materials. A key technical development was the collection of data on the functional performance. Performance was measured under a number of practical and theoretical hygrothermal scenarios where humidity and temperature were altered to replicate winter and summer conditions in wall and roof applications.Improvements in technical performance were achieved by developing new prototypes that were tested against standards. Successful prototypes were then manufactured at full scale by the consortium partners. Successes included an improvement to the existing products and resulted in the introduction of a new insulation material to the UK market.The project demonstrated the effeactive ability of natural insulation materials to buffer moisture. This ability helps to contribute to the control of indoor air quality. Condensation in buildings is an area for growing concern as buildings become more airtight. This can potentially lead to a build up of moisture levels if there is inadequate ventilation. Understanding and quantifying how insulation materials perform in this respect is one key performance indicator. During the project moisture related properties were measured including water absorption and resistance to vapour diffusion. Comparative hygrothermal testing of bio and non bio-insulations was undertaken to determine the likelihood of interstitial condensation in the interfaces of insulation materials. During these tests it was observed that condensation occurred much earlier with mineral wool insulation than with bio-based insulations. It was found that the bio-insulation reduced the water vapour pressure by adsorption and/or absorption and this prevented condensation. Further tests simulated conditions found in loft spaces and walls. Again experimental work indicated that bio based insulations could cope with damp environments and were able to reduce the moisture in the air.The project results indicate that bio-insulation can play an active role in reducing humidity levels and thereby decrease the risk and degree of condensation, whether in walls or lofts. Experimental work has also shown that conductivity measurements do not give an accurate indication of actual performance. The project partners gained an insight into how insulation behaves in-situ and under conditions found in buildings. These results suggest that under dynamic conditions bio based insulations can outperform conventional synthetic materials.Air quality in buildings is another area of increasing concern. Some building materials may be contributing to the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). There is evidence to suggest that bio based insulation materials made from wool may help to improve the indoor environment. During the project, test data was gathered on the ability of wool fibres to selectively absorb VOCs such as formaldehyde. Further work in this area is continuing with the consortium partners.The market development study also identified the barriers to the greater use of bio based insulation materials. Legal issues such as planning controls, building details, supply chains and technical performance were all considered. This information will be used to develop improved channels to market with better promotion of the uses of bio-based insulation materials.This study also identified that the key barrier was the lack of credible, non-commercial sources of reliable information. This project will address this issue by extensive publication of all the test data resulting from the project and this will be made available on line and will be publicly disseminated. Another output from this project is the consortium have been instrumental in establishing a new not-for-profit cross-sector organisation called The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP).. Through the ASBP it is hoped that a technical committee will be formed to look at the standards for ‘green building products’.The consortium believes that for the Government to really deliver on targets of carbon neutral buildings by 2016 (as set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes) then a dramatic improvement is needed. The use of better and more sustainable materials is critical and natural fibre insulations can help to achieve these aims.