IsoPoplar
Development of a mould-protected and biocide-free blow-in insulation based on poplar wood and cellulose flakes
Insulating materials from renewable raw materials are becoming increasingly important in the insulation market thanks to the increasing environmental awareness of private builders and homeowners. These new insulating materials replace those manufactured from fossil fuels and minerals such as glass, rock wool, and polystyrene. This is not only beneficial for the environment and efforts combating climate change, but insulating materials from renewable raw materials also show significantly better properties in terms of health, living environment and moisture behavior than conventional competing products. Cellulose blow-in insulation is based on a renewable raw material: high-quality recovered paper. This raw material has been subject to steadily increasing demand for some years, causing prices to rise sharply and available quantities to fall. As part of this cooperation project, a marketable, biocide-free composite insulation made of cellulose flakes and wood chips from poplar wood is to be developed. The wood shavings are intended to serve as a framework, which absorbs the setting properties of the cellulose flakes. The poplar wood comes from short rotation plantations, which should be examined for their potential and biodiversity impact. A further goal is to establish a biocide-free mould protection, which can adequately replace the previously used borates, which have been increasingly classified as hazardous to health in recent years, while maintaining the fire retardant properties.