Natural tannin-based rigid foams as insulation for doors and wall panels

Abstract

Tannin-based rigid foams were shown to be good thermal insulating materials for use in the cavity of hollow-core wooden doors and other wooden cavities. Their thermal insulation capacity is comparable to that of totally synthetic, oil-derived foams, such as polyurethanes, but with the advantage that they do not burn and thus do not emit toxic gases on burning. Exposure to the weather of wooden hollow core structures filled with tannin-based foams confirm that the wood in contact with the foam is not affected by the acidity of the foam due to the already previously demonstrated incorporation of the acid hardener used by coreaction with the hardened polymer network.