Building insulation: popcorn to replace expanded polystyrene

Anicet Mbida 6:55 a.m., December 8, 2021

We knew popcorn as a delicacy that we eat at the movies.

It could soon also be found in construction as an insulation material.

It makes you wonder why no one thought about it before.

It is true that popcorn still looks a lot like expanded polystyrene.

Researchers at the University of Göttingen in Germany wanted to know if, by chance, he also had the same qualities.

And bingo!

In terms of thermal insulation, it is even better than polystyrene.

With the huge advantage of being is a completely natural product (popcorn), biodegradable and compostable.

Whereas current insulators are often derivatives of plastic which take hundreds of years to break down.

An ideal alternative at a time when the building must imperatively reduce its ecological footprint.

Is it still theoretical or have we already developed insulating panels in popcorn?

Yes, there it is!

The technology was licensed to the Karl Bachl Group, a specialist in building materials.

An industrialist is therefore already ready to ensure production and marketing.

They are all the more interested since popcorn is much more fire resistant than plastic insulation.

Polystyrene, for example, has a tendency to melt in the form of small droplets which can easily ignite and spread the fire to lower floors.

This fire resistance has become critical, as new building standards require much more insulation.

But today, more insulation also means more easily combustible materials.

And where does the corn that will be used to make this insulation come from?

We are not going to take it in the production reserved for consumption?

No, the goal is to collect waste from the popcorn industry, as there is no need for whole grains.

With their method, even small pieces of corn can be expanded.

All the same, it remains to validate the resistance of this new insulation over time.

He also shouldn't attract rats by giving them a pantry full of popcorn.