• Energy Research

Abstract In recent years, the overall energy consumption is increasing significantly and the energy consumption in the building sector represents over 30% of the global ones in developed countries. Thermal energy storage (TES) using phase change materials (PCM), which are materials able to store high amounts of energy as latent heat, is suggested as a possible solution to decrease the energy consumption. The authors of this paper developed materials able to encapsulate/stabilize PCM in addition to isolate an industrial residue from the steel recycling process: electrical arc furnace dust (EAFD). This waste is a hazardous dust, and when it is combined with a polymeric matrix produce dense sheet materials suitable for multilayered constructive systems. In this paper the physical, mechanical, thermal and acoustical characterization of two new materials with EAFD and PCM in a polymeric matrix for constructive system is presented. The results are compared with those obtained for one commercial dense sheet material available in the market, Texsound commercialized by TEXSA (Spain). The new dense sheet materials developed in this paper have similar acoustic properties compared to the results obtained for the commercial material and are competitive with it, even better because the new material incorporates PCM which increases the thermal inertia of final constructive system.

Abstract Energy consumption for thermal comfort in buildings reached 20–40% of total energy consumption in the developed countries. This study evaluates the performance of a composite material with enhanced thermal inertia formulated with a solid waste to be used in buildings. The feasibility of incorporating electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) was evaluated. EAFD is a special waste used as filler in a polymer matrix. Paraffin wax is added with two functions: on one side as lubricant agent to promote a correct mixing between the inorganic filler and the polymeric matrix. Moreover, paraffin acts as phase change material (PCM) due to their high thermal energy storage (TES) capacity as latent heat from the phase change. In order to evaluate the performance as part of building systems of new material developed in this paper, several composite formulations were prepared and tensile strength test were performed, the thermal properties were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and airborne noise acoustic properties were tested using an experimental cabin based on the UNE-EN-ISO140. The results were compared with a commercial material for acoustic insulation in constructive solutions. The material developed was a 3 mm dense sheet able to be used in combination with other materials as constructive systems.