Date pits based nanomaterials for thermal insulation applications—Towards energy efficient buildings in Qatar

Air-conditioning systems make the most significant part of energy consumption in the residential sector. There is no denying that it is essential to produce a comfortable indoor thermal environment for residents in a building. The actual goal is to achieve thermal comfort level without putting too much cost on the ecological system by trying to conserve the amount of energy consumed. An effective way to help achieve such a goal is by incorporating thermal insulation in buildings. Thermal insulations help reduce thermal energy gained during the implementation of a desired thermal comfort level. This study aims to use an environmentally friendly nanoparticle of date pits to create thermal insulations that can be used in buildings. Different ratios of the nanoparticle of the date pits and sand composite were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the new materials. The material with nanoparticles of date pits and 50% by-volume epoxy provided good thermal insulation with thermal conductivity of 0.26 W⁄mK that could be used in the existing buildings. This has the potential to reduce the overall energy consumption by 4,494 kWh and thereby reduce CO₂ emissions of a 570 m² house by 1.8 tons annually. In conclusion, the future of using nanoparticles of date pits in construction is bright and promising due to their promising results.

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Published in: PLOS ONE
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247608