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Carbon Capture Utilization for Bio-Based Building Insulation Foams
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This study explored using carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere to make bio-based insulation foams as a greener alternative to petroleum-based building materials. Replacing fossil-fuel-derived plastics with biodegradable alternatives could reduce the long-term accumulation of microplastic pollution.
Ecological, health and environmental concerns are driving the need for bio-resourced foams for the building industry and for other applications. This is because insulation is one of the most important aspects of the building envelope. Global building insulation is expected to reach USD 27.74 billion in 2022. Conventional insulation materials currently used in buildings are made from nonrenewable products (petroleum, fiber glass). However, they yield increasing unrecyclable eco-unfriendly waste at the end of their lives; styrene and polyurethane generates over 100,000 kg of waste insulation in US alone yearly. This is because they are non-biodegradable and can remain as microplastics in the environment for 1000 years. Polyurethane contains the same amount of energy as coal. Additionally, most of the processing techniques and blowing agents used in this manufacturing of these foams are cancerous and injurious to health when inhaled. Because buildings and their construction together account for 36% of global energy use and 39% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions annually, there is a need to develop eco-friendly foams that will serve as possible substitutes to the currently used petroleum-based foams. This dissertation examined the development and characterization of eco-friendly foams that were developed using the melt mixing technique of bio-resourced polymers with the use of environmentally benign carbon dioxide as blowing agent. This study was conducted and financially supported by the National Science Foundation. A collaborative research: Engineering Fully Bio-based Foams for the Building Industry. Award NSF-CMMI: 1728096.
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