By Jamie Martin
University at Buffalo (UB) researchers are turning wheat straw, a farming byproduct, into an innovative and sustainable form of home insulation.
Led by Professor Chi Zhou, the team is exploring how to 3D print thermal insulation using wheat straw, which is often burned after harvest.
“Unlike fossil fuels, which take millions of years to form, biomass materials, such as wheat straw, can be harvested and replanted regularly,” says Zhou.
Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program, the research team has found that wheat straw offers strong thermal insulation, high durability, and better fire resistance than many other organic materials. Its natural fibrous and porous structure makes it ideal for insulation.
The team processes the straw into fibers and binds them using hydrogen bonding. This forms a thick slurry, which becomes printable ink for 3D insulation panels. They redesigned standard 3D printers to use a slot-die nozzle system that spreads material more evenly and quickly, making larger insulation panels possible.
Their method results in long-lasting, high-strength insulation structures. The findings were published in the Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering and presented at ASME’s Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference.
Wheat straw insulation is also biodegradable, renewable, and locally sourced helping reduce emissions and support rural economies. Beyond insulation, the material can be used for custom products like kitchenware and furniture.
The research team aims to collaborate with industry partners to scale this technology and assess its market potential.
“If wheat straw were to be widely adopted,” Zhou says, “it not only would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it would also reduce agricultural waste and provide an environmentally friendly and affordable source of insulation for homes and commercial buildings.”
Photo Credit: istock-zhaojiankang
Categories: National