Development of High-Performance Thermal Insulation Panels Using Untreated Rice Husk Waste for Sustainable Building Applications

In the current study, samples were produced and characterized. These are composed of unprocessed rice husks glued together through gum Arabic and protected through multi-layer barriers that consist of bubble wrap sheets, aluminum foil sheets, and paraffin oil. Until this point, the current research is unique since it uses raw materials directly as the basis for the product and because the binding materials used are derived from living organisms. The results for the tests conducted proved the created materials to have thermal conductivities as low as 0.046 W/mK. about 35% lower than traditional EPS insulation. Moreover, the flexural strength and compressive strength of the panels were 1.2 MPa and about 1.8 MPa, respectively, showing structural integrity at least for non-load-bearing applications. Thermal stability and fire resistance were also improved, as cone calorimetry and TGA/DSC tests highlighted a multistep decomposition with a 21-25% char residue at 600 °C. Life cycle assessment confirmed these findings, with 45-60% lower CO₂ emissions and 30-40% lower energy demand compared with mineral wool and polyurethane foams. The results hereby obtained represent the dual contribution to the study: the proposal of a new composite design based on agro-waste and the quantitative improvement of mechanical performance, fire resistance, thermal efficiency, and sustainability prove industrial feasibility in using rice husk-based insulation panels in environmentally friendly buildings.