Properties of Lightweight Insulating Boards Produced from Triticale Straw Particles

Abstract

Insulating materials made from straw are becoming increasingly popular in the construction industry. Straw can be used in the construction of buildings as uncompressed straw chips or in the form of compressed panels. This study aimed to determine the possibility of manufacturing boards from straw particles with densities in the range of 150–400 kg/m3, allowing favorable mechanical properties while simultaneously providing high thermal and acoustic insulation properties. The study also analyzed the influence of the degree of carpentry density on the quality of the manufactured boards. The study shows that insulation boards can be produced from straw particles with satisfactory properties already at densities in the range of 200–150 kg/m3. Boards with this density have a compressive strength of 150 kPa, thermal resistance of 0.033–0.046 W/(m·K), and a sound absorption coefficient above 0.31.