Stephen Amiandamhen
Forsker
(+47) 413 63 419
stephen.amiandamhen@nibio.no
Sted
Ås - Bygg H8
Besøksadresse
Høgskoleveien 8, 1433 Ås
Sammendrag
Wood continues to evolve as a sustainable construction material in response to global demands for circularity, climate resilience, and resource efficiency. This study develops lightweight bio-based insulation panels from wood chips, cellulose nanofibrils, and macroalgae processing residues, demonstrating enhanced fire resistance, thermal and acoustic properties. By transforming wood and marine biomass into high-value multifunctional products, the work extends the life of wood beyond traditional applications. The study highlights how innovative wood-based composites can strengthen circular bioeconomy value chains and support resilient, low-carbon buildings in an ever-changing world.
Sammendrag
This paper presents a comprehensive study on lightweight cement-bonded composites containing pulp sludge (PS). The objective of the study was to evaluate how the incorporation of perlite (a lightweight volcanic glass aggregate) and lime mud (a pulp mill residue) influences composites’ properties including mechanical strength, insulation and fire resistance. Up to 50% of the cement binder was replaced with PS (by mass), and small fractions of cement (5–15%) were replaced with perlite or lime mud. A suite of analytical techniques, material characterization and mechanical tests with digital image correlation (DIC) for strain analysis were employed. X-ray analysis showed that the aggregates influenced the composite properties to a considerable extent due to their particle sizes and ability to form hydrated gels with cement. Adding 5% of perlite or lime mud yields optimal strength without compromising weight reduction whereas higher aggregate content (15%) led to reduced strength. The DIC system provided insights into strain distribution during loading, confirming enhanced toughness from the fibrous PS. The composites were significantly lighter (732–749 kg/m3) and showed about 30% lower thermal conductivity (0.17 W/mK) than pure cement composites (0.25 W/mK). The normal incidence sound absorption of the composites was about 0.3 at mid-high frequencies due to their compact structure. The composites demonstrated potential for use as sustainable, lightweight construction materials with good acoustic and thermal insulation, as well as acceptable load-bearing capacity for non-structural applications based on EN 634-1/-2 requirements for cement-bonded particleboards.
Sammendrag
Abstract This study assesses the economic feasibility and environmental profile of producing Irvingia-based wood adhesives on a small scale (30 ton/year) in South Africa. A detailed techno-economic analysis was conducted including operating cost estimation and sensitivity analysis of key input variables. The estimated production costs for three adhesive formulations ranged from R157.1/kg – R318.14/kg. The average production cost was R214.62/kg and was below the typical market price of R379/kg for synthetic wood adhesives. Raw materials especially kernels and modifiers were identified as the dominant cost drivers, whereas labour and electricity had minimal impact on unit cost. A carbon footprint assessment (CFA) was performed with cradle-to-gate boundaries to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Two raw material sourcing scenarios were considered. They included adhesive production from kernels and adhesive production directly from whole fruits (including on-site fruit dehulling). The cradle-to-gate CFA indicates that both scenarios have similar GHG emission profiles given equivalent process conditions, with most emissions arising from energy use and chemical additives rather than feedstock transport. A review of mechanical performance from prior studies showed that these bio-based adhesives met industry standard requirements. The results demonstrate that small-scale production of Irvingia adhesives is economically viable and environmentally sustainable, making it a promising alternative to synthetic adhesives for wood composite manufacturing in South Africa.
