INVESTIGATION OF THERMAL, DENSITY, AND BIOLOGICAL DEGRADATION PROPERTIES OF FOAM MATERIALS PRODUCED FROM DIFFERENT BIOPOLYMERS

Abstract

The majority of foam materials used for insulation purposes are produced from petrochemical-derived raw materials such as polystyrene, polyurethane, and polyphenol. It is known that these materials have problems such as being harmful to human and environmental health compared to their natural alternatives and having low recyclability. In order to reduce this negative situation, the production and use of bio-based foam materials have attracted attention in recent years due to their positive properties in terms of environmental and human health. In this study, the density, thermal conductivity, and degradation properties of foam materials produced by adding different bio polymers (guar gum, wheat gluten, and xanthan gum) to a mixture of cellulose and citric acid were investigated. The foams were produced by a simple and fast procedure that contained a mixture of bio polymer, cellulose, and citric acid and dried in the oven. Depending on the bio polymer used in the study, the density of the foam material was found to vary between 0,053 g/cm3 and 0,245 g/cm3. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the foam materials ranged from 0,0354 W/mK to 0,0939 W/mK, and it was determined that these values were comparable to other insulation materials such as glass wool, stone wool, and polyurethane. A weight loss of between 40,15% and 48.,5% occurred in the produced foam materials after a period of 30 days. The results showed that the type of bio polymer added to the mixture of cellulose and citric acid was important in determining the density and thermal conductivity values of the produced foam materials. Additionally, it is thought that the produced foam material could be a more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to traditional foam materials.

Keywords

• Biopolymer
• foam
• thermal conductivity coefficient
• degradation

Farklı Biyo Polimerlerden Üretilen Köpük Malzemelerin Termal, Yoğunluk ve Biyolojik Bozunma Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi

Öz

Yalıtım amaçlı kullanılan köpük malzemelerin büyük bir çoğunluğu polistren, poliüretan ve polifenol gibi petrokimya kaynaklı hammaddelerden üretilmektedir. Bu malzemelerin doğal alternatiflerine kıyasla insan ve çevre sağlığı açısından zararlı ve geri dönüştürülebilirliğinin düşük olması gibi sorunlara sahip olduğu bilinmektedir. Bu olumsuz durumu azaltmak amacıyla son yıllarda biyobazlı köpük malzemelerin üretimi ve kullanımı çevre ve insan sağlığı açısından sahip olduğu olumlu özellikler nedeniyle ilgi görmektedir. Bu çalışmada, selüloz ve sitrik asit karışımına farklı biyo polimerlerin (guar sakızı, buğday gluteni ve ksantan sakızı) eklenmesi ile üretilen köpük malzemelerin yoğunluk, termal iletkenlik ve biyolojik bozunma özellikleri incelenmiştir. Köpükler, biyo polimer, selüloz ve sitrik asit karışımını içeren basit ve hızlı bir prosedür ile üretilerek etüvde kurutulmuştur. Çalışmada kullanılan biyo polimere bağlı olarak elde edilen köpük malzeme yoğunluğunun 0,053 g/cm3 ile 0,245 g/cm3 arasında değiştiği belirlenmiştir. Köpük malzemelerin termal iletkenlik katsayısı, 0,0354 W/mK ile 0,0939 W/mK arasında değişmiş, elde edilen bu değerlerin cam yünü, taş yünü, poliüretan gibi diğer yalıtım malzemeleri ile karşılaştırılabilir olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Üretilen köpük malzemelerde 30 günlük süre sonunda %40,15 ile %48,45 arasında ağırlık kaybı meydana gelmiştir. Sonuçlar selüloz ve sitrik asit karışımına farklı biyo polimerler eklenmesi ile üretilen köpük malzemelerin yoğunluk ve termal iletkenlik değerleri üzerinde biyo polimer türünün önemli olduğunu göstermiştir. Ayrıca üretilen bu köpük malzemenin geleneksel köpük malzemelere göre daha çevre dostu ve sürdürülebilir bir alternatif olabileceği düşünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Biyopolimer
• köpük
• termal iletkenlik katsayısı
• bozunma

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