Study of natural materials for application in thermal insulation of buildings

Abstract

Energy crises and climate impacts have revealed the need to rethink the design of buildings, which are major generators of greenhouse gases and 40% of the world's electricity consumption. The UN and several countries have been writing recommendations and legislation on the subject, guiding the use of appropriate materials, aiming at energy efficiency in buildings. This study was developed from a bibliometric research methodology, looking for thermal insulation materials for use in buildings that can replace conventional materials that use non-renewable resources and pollutants in their manufacturing system. Most of the natural materials researched come from agricultural residues, which can be treated and used as constructive material. The studies researched show thermal conductivity performance (λ) below the recommended for insulating materials (λ <0.07 W / m.K). Thus, materials that could be considered waste appear as a new constructive alternative. Studies from rice husk (λ = 0.0464 W / mK), pineapple leaf (λ = 0.0380 W / mK), sugarcane bagasse (λ = 0.0460 W / mK) and Corn (λ = 0.0580 W / mK) has important results, besides being viable alternatives to be used in Brazil, because there are large areas of planting for these crops. The importance of developing practical research on the applicability of these materials, as well as fire resistance testing and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is emphasized.