Pro Ligno (Dec 2018)
Fiber Insulation Materials from Eucalyptus Bark Fibers – First Results
Abstract
When focusing on the production of insulation materials from forest biomass, it has to be considered that the typical wood assortments used for their production are limited and expensive. Moreover, this forest biomass is increasingly demanded by an expanding search for renewable raw materials. Increasing the market share of sustainably produced insulation materials by decreasing their costs is possible with the utilization of alternative cheap raw materials with high availability in combination with a simpler production technology. In this context, the high fiber content and unique fiber morphology of the bark of Eucalyptus globulus is an interesting raw material. In this paper, a new processing technology for Eucalyptus bark fibers is presented, which allows the production of competitive and high-performance fiber insulation materials. Due to a less expensive raw material, less thermal and electric energy consumption in the production, less investment costs due to a simpler production technology and less bonding agent content the production costs are reduced significantly. In addition, insulation materials made of Eucalyptus bark fibers offer partly better properties compared to common insulation materials. They can also be adapted to various requirements for sound and thermal insulation in buildings.
