Manufacturing Technology for Biogenic, Cost-Effective, Super-Insulating Rigid Boards

In 2023, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development study identified that ôHeat losses through framing members such as studs, headers and sill plates could account for as much as 30% of the heat loss in a wood framed wall assembly.ö1 This problem can be addressed by applying a continuous layer of insulating material on the exterior of buildings. Today most exterior rigid board insulation is made using energy-intensive petrochemical-based foam board. There is a critical need for a low-carbon, high-performance alternative to reduce energy consumption and lower the embodied carbon content of building materials. The objective of this Phase I project is to produce a rigid insulating board that is made with biogenic/aerogel materials that offers an R5/in insulating value and a -0.25 kg CO2e/kg carbon footprint. This prototype will be produced using an extrusion method that will be validated in Phase I and scaled up in Phase II. Phase I will require formulating a unique cellulose infused aerogel material and developing a method for extruding that material to produce sample boards. CleanFiber will also examine different methods of drying the material for optimum production speed and minimal carbon footprint. Insulating board performance will be validated by an independent third-party testing group to certify the product across a range of attributes that are critical to both building standards and market acceptance. The proposed product would be applied to the exterior of residential and commercial buildings that are wood- or metal-frame constructed, reducing energy losses, improving occupant comfort, and lowering the carbon content of building materials. It could be used for both new construction and retrofits of existing housing and low-rise commercial buildings when siding is being replaced.