Experts around the world continue working to reduce emissions in industries that are essential to meeting our needs. One of them is the construction sector, where interesting innovations are being developed such as fire bricks free of CO2 emissions. A new fiber cement made with fabric that appears to be a perfect insulator for construction.
The perfect insulator that is made with clothes
It is known that the construction materials industry is one of the main responsible for the CO2 emissions that cause global warming. From the necessary components, to the manufacturing processes, to their transportation and application, these products generate tons of greenhouse gases that increase every year.
However, few know that Another highly polluting industry is the textile industry.. Annually, this industry produces around 90 million tons of waste that ends up in incinerators that produce high amounts of pollution. For its part, construction contributes to a third of CO2 emissions, of which 7% correspond to cement manufacturing alone.
To contribute to a solution that allows cement to be manufactured without compromising the environment, a team of researchers from different universities in Spain have developed a novel fiber cement using nonwoven textile waste. The material has been subjected to different tests and has proven to be a perfect insulator that offers all the properties of traditional fiber cement.
A two for one solution
The team of experts at UPC (Polytechnic University of Catalonia – Barcelona Tech) has managed to create a lightweight, fireproof and versatile construction material that also works as a perfect insulator to prevent humidity and improve air conditioning. It also offers excellent durability and resistance, despite being a very light structure.
To achieve this new low-emission fiber cement, they combined traditional cement with nonwoven textile industry waste, that is, the fibers most used for the manufacture of the garments we use daily. After applying a treatment to optimize the properties of the fabric, minerals are added to the mixture that improve the resistance of the material.
During the tests carried out to estimate its performance, the team has managed to manufacture roof tiles, light floor tiles and thin plates for facades, among others. In all cases it was proven that the new fiber cement offers a more efficient air conditioningis highly resistant to water and allows adequate air passage to avoid humidity and purify indoor air.
A waste that becomes the perfect insulator
With this innovative technology, researchers have opened the possibility of creating a new market from a material that usually ends up incinerated or accumulates in mountains of garbage in landfills. This would be a possible source of economic benefits that helps reduce CO2 emissionswith the addition of being the first perfect insulator for efficient air conditioning.
The team is currently studying the possibilities of taking their new recycled fiber cement to an industrial level where it could reduce both emissions and production costs of a material widely used in construction.
The circular economy is possible
The circular economy has emerged as the pillar of sustainability. Taking advantage of waste from the textile industry to create more economical and efficient materials could be of great help, as could the insulation made with agricultural waste that was developed in Panama. Without a doubt it would be a great achievement with the signature of Spain, which adds to the already extensive list of sustainable solutions that we have created.
