Cellulose waste for making sustainable cellulose/concrete bio-composite: functional and environmental value for the thermal insulation

This study aims to enhance the development of sustainable concrete for thermal insulation as a biosourced solution to deal with environmental problems, which result from the excessive use of petrochemical energy responsible for global warming. In view of these impacts, a new bio-composite “cellulose/concrete” has been originated for thermal insulation purposes while measuring the thermal conductivity of different cellulose-based systems. The influences of the amorphous cellulose fraction, the temperature, and the condensed phosphates on the prepared concrete composites were investigated. Thermal conductivity measures using a heating plate system test revealed that the thermal properties of the bio-composite systems improved with the incorporation of amorphous cellulose and can provide maximum insulation (0.15 W/mK) without using additional expensive energy. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy observations showed that conductivity seems to stabilize and decrease less quickly in the presence of higher temperatures causing a more stable hardening of the composite. Furthermore, with the addition of the phosphate elements, the cohesion of the cement paste slightly increased due to the good distribution of the amorphous cellulose particle within the porous matrix structure. These findings highlight the potential use of amorphous cellulose in the upcoming era as a promising and eco-friendly material for green construction.