Bio-sourced Insulation Layer with Hydrophobic Additives
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of bio-sourced plant aggregates in construction compositions faces challenges such as high water absorption, which delays drying, affects mechanical strength, and promotes microbial growth, making it difficult to achieve durable and thermally insulating building systems.
Innovation Solution
A multilayer construction system utilizing a dry composition of bio-sourced aggregates like sunflower or corn stalks with a specific binder formulation, achieving a hardened insulation layer with low thermal conductivity and improved mechanical properties, while minimizing water absorption and microbial growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If bio-sourced plant aggregates are used in construction compositions, then thermal insulation properties are improved, but water absorption increases causing delayed drying and reduced mechanical strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the binder formulation, using a lime-based binder with specific water-to-binder ratios and adding hydrophobic additives to modify the interaction between the binder and bio-sourced aggregates. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining mechanical strength while preserving the thermal insulation properties of the bio-sourced materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite construction composition by combining lime-based binders, hydrophobic additives, and bio-sourced plant aggregates in specific proportions. This composite approach allows the system to simultaneously achieve adequate mechanical strength from the binder and thermal insulation from the bio-sourced aggregates, while the hydrophobic additives prevent excessive water absorption.
2Loss of energy
If bio-sourced plant aggregates are used in construction compositions, then thermal insulation properties are improved, but drying time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces hydrophobic additives as intermediaries between the bio-sourced aggregates and water. These additives form a water-repellent barrier that prevents excessive water absorption by the aggregates, thereby maintaining the thermal insulation properties while significantly reducing drying time by controlling water retention in the mixture.
3Reliability
If bio-sourced plant aggregates are used in construction compositions, then sustainability is improved, but vulnerability to microbial growth increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the high water absorption capacity of bio-sourced aggregates, which normally promotes microbial growth, into a benefit by using hydrophobic additives to control water retention. The additives prevent excessive moisture while maintaining the sustainability advantage of using bio-sourced materials, thereby eliminating the microbial growth risk.
4Reliability
If bio-sourced plant aggregates are used in construction compositions, then environmental footprint is reduced, but mechanical strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the binder system by using lime-based binders with optimized water-to-binder ratios and incorporating hydrophobic additives. These parameter changes ensure adequate mechanical strength development while preserving the environmental sustainability benefits of using bio-sourced plant aggregates.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a lightweight, ductile, and thermally insulating construction solution with reduced vulnerability to microbial damage and improved durability, suitable for severe environmental conditions and easy on-site manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
Plant-based aggregates/fillers are generally characterized by a high water absorption capacity linked to their highly porous structure
Implementation Method 2
at least one hardened insulation layer... having low thermal conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
The aim of the invention is to provide a novel construction system for buildings, having the properties of being multilayer, insulating, ductile, and lightweight.To this end, the invention relates to a multilayer insulating construction system for a building, characterized in that(a) this system comprises at least one wall associated with at least one hardened insulation layer,(b) the maximum thickness of the hardened insulation layer is between 1 and 60 cm,(c) the hardened insulation has a bulk density (BD) in kg/m3 that is less than or equal to 450; 300; 250; 200; 150; 100; and more preferably between 50 and 300; 150 and 250;(d) this hardened insulation layer is prepared by mixing, with water, a dry composition (d) comprising:-A at least one binder including:-A1- at least one hydraulic or air binder;-A2- possibly at least one water retention agent-A3- possibly at least one surfactant;-B- at least one bio-sourced aggregate based on sunflower stalk and/or corn stalk and/or rape stalk, having a Bulk Density(BD) in kg/m3 that is less than 110; preferably between 10 and 80;(e) this composition having a ratio of A/B [mass of dry binder -A- in kg]/[mass of dry filler -B- in kg] comprised between 1 and 10.Another object of the invention is the dry composition which, after mixing with water, enables manufacturing the hardened insulation layer of this construction system. The invention also includes the method for manufacturing the construction system.