Development of Doum Palm Fiber-Based Building Insulation Composites with Citric Acid/Glycerol Eco-Friendly Binder

Abstract

This study focuses on the development of an insulation biocomposite using Doum palm (Chamaerops humilis) fibers reinforced with a natural binder based on citric acid and glycerol. The main objective is to optimize the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the biocomposite as a function of fiber preparation (short or powdered fibers) and binder content (20%, 30% and 40%), and relate them to the bonding of the fibers and the binder. The obtained results suggest that the addition of the binder greatly enhances the density, compressive strength and Young’s modulus of biocomposites. More specifically, the addition of 20% by weight of the citric acid/glycerol binder improves the bond between fibers, whether they are short fibers or powders. This leads to an increase in the mechanical properties, with Young’s modulus reaching (212.1) MPa and compressive strength at (24.3) MPa. On the other hand, the results show that these biocomposites also have acceptable thermal insulation performance, achieving a thermal conductivity of (0.102) W/(m·K), making them suitable for a variety of applications in sustainable buildings and for refurbishment.