Thermal Insulation Tiles and Sheets Based on Integration of Recycled Plastic Waste Fibres and Epoxy Resin

Plastic waste, in the past few years, has risen to be one of the most concerning and endangering pollutants to environment and life, making its effective management and reduction a major domain of focus among researchers and industrialists. This comparative study is an attempt to utilize recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) fibres combined with Epoxy Resin in various combinations, to provide effective and low-cost insulation in moderate to low requirements. The above-mentioned components serve as viable insulators. Moisture resistance of both materials and temperature resistance of Epoxy resins ranging from 120°C to 150°C (depending upon the grade of Epoxy used) indicate a good stability in harsh external operating environment. While Epoxy resins are not inherently flame retardants, additives are introduced for this purpose in order to render the composite safer to use. Owing to the excellent adhesive properties of the Epoxy resin, the rPET fibres are allowed to bond together firmly and also exhibit good overall strength of the composite and also making sure that the composite will not delaminate or weaken over time. Controlled environmental experiments and mathematical modelling of the real-life conditions have been performed. As a part of this study, multiple configurations of the mentioned composite have been tested experimentally and simulatively with varying overall thickness ranging from 3mm to 15mm. Results show temperature difference of about 12°C, indicating that the composites developed can be used as effective thermal insulators.