Experimental Investigation and Numerical Simulation on the Thermal Insulation Materials Using Recycled Thermoplastic Polymers

Abstract

In construction building, the optimum insulation material thickness determines the efficiency of energy consumption. In this paper, heat transfer and the temperature distribution of recycled polymers between construction building components are investigated using theoretical and simulation methods. It has been shown that when the thickness of all recycled polymers being studied is increased, insulation improves and energy consumption decreases, indicating that XPS is the best recycled plastic and the optimum thickness is 7 cm. In this work, experimental and numerical approaches have been used, to conduct a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the thermal performance of an external wall outfitted with new insulation materials, based on the most commercialized recycled thermoplastic polymers (Polyethylene RPE, Polyethylene terephthalate RPET, and Expanded Polystyrene RXPS) waste.