New approach in the reuse of modified ground tire rubber as thermal and acoustic insulation to be used in civil engineering

Abstract

The concern for the amount of end-of-life tires generated each year has arisen from constant research directed to their valorisation. Herein we propose a new material, which is constituted by GTR with a binder, as acoustic and also as a thermal insulator for civil engineering. The insulator can also include the fibre mat present in the tire, seldomly considered as a recyclable sub-product. To provide insight into the insulating behaviour of these materials, four mathematical models have been tested and compared with the experimental results of thermal conductivity. The Lewis-Nielsen modelization presented good accuracy with deviations of less than 3%. A statistical analysis has also been conducted on the experimental data showing that the parameter with more effect on thermal conductivity is thickness (differences up to 43%) being particle size, less important (ca 6%). In acoustic properties, different effects can be observed depending on the frequency range, being the density the most relevant. From the mathematical, statistical and experimental analysis can be deduced that good insulation properties would be achieved in materials with: low density, porous; including mat and thick. The effect of these parameters causes variations of thermal conductivity from 0.189 to 0.117 W/m·K and in sound absorption coefficient from 0.06 to 0.6.

Effect of Titanium Dioxide on Cure Characteristics and Physico Mechanical Properties of High-Temperature Vulcanizing Silicone Rubber Composites

“…Meanwhile, the lowest density (0.873 g/cm 3 ) was SiR composite with 1.2 wt% TiO2. This finding agrees with Colom et al, [18] in their work. There is an inverse relationship between porosity and bulk density; as bulk density increases, porosity decreases.…”

The Use of Waste Tyre Rubber Recycled Products in Lightweight Timber Frame Systems as Acoustic Insulation: A Comparative Analysis of Acoustic Performance

“…The use of elastic materials as anti-impact foils (floating floors) has been common practice in construction since the second half of the 20th century. In this line of research, there are studies on the use of GTR to improve the performance of building solutions with regard to impact noise [115,116], but there are few with regard to airborne noise [117,118].…”

“…Another use that is currently being researched is the development of building materials made from GTR with improved thermal insulation properties [127]. For example, polyurethane foams with GTR particles [128], GTR sheets [118], or heat insulation composites [129] are being developed for thermal isolation. In addition, other research has focused on the incorporation of GTR aggregates into traditional building materials, such as concrete, to partially improve their thermal properties [130].…”