Words by Smiley Team
No, it’s not a joke. It might not seem like the most obvious choice, but popcorn has become the latest material for making plant-based, biodegradable insulation.
Scientists at Göettingen University in Germany discovered a way to develop boards from “granulated” popcorn that they hope could encourage more people to purchase natural insulation rather than synthetic varieties.
The material’s developers drew on years of research to create this new building material that not only has thermal properties that make it suitable to use as insulation, but that is also waterproof, cost-effective and offers better protection against fire.
Head of the research group, Professor Alireza Kharazipour, said: "This new process, based on that of the plastics industry, enables the cost-effective production of insulation boards at an industrial scale. Especially in the field of insulation in construction, this ensures that natural insulation materials are no longer just niche products."
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The scientists hope to reshape a market dominated by synthetic materials. Right now, insulation made from plastics or mineral fibres makes up 90% of sales and purchases, while much of exterior insulation is composed of plastics derived from petroleum.
Manufacturing these materials results in carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, synthetic insulation rarely gets recycled after demolition processes, exacerbating global warming, pollution and waste.
Researchers developed the new popcorn-based product in partnership with the German construction materials company, Bachl Group. The company’s managing director, Michael Küblbeck, said: “We are delighted to be launching such an innovative insulation product using popcorn onto the market together with the University of Göttingen.
“For us, this is another important milestone in our strategic development towards becoming an integrated, multi-material insulation supplier. Popcorn insulation complements our quality range perfectly and means we can respond even more precisely to the different requirements of the market and our customers."
