High technology and reuse of waste materials: developing a decorative panel for improvement of thermal performance

Abstract

The 21st century expresses an intense technological advance applied in the most diverse equipment gradually more accessible to society. At the same time, to meet this demand, natural resources are consumed exponentially generating a huge amount of waste with destination not always adequate. In developing countries, the main agents involved in attempting to reduce this negative environmental impact through the reuse of materials are the recycling cooperatives, which are responsible for the sort of discarded materials and for their reintroduction into the production system. The incorporation of aesthetic and technological qualities aimed at energy efficiency in the production of construction elements from materials available in these cooperatives can contribute, on the one hand, to add value to the work of the cooperative and, on the other, to reduce the energy spent both in recycling of materials discarded as in the artificial conditioning of buildings. Through Design Science Research, this research aims to create an artifact through the use of CAD / CAM systems using discarded materials in order to reintroduce them in the production chain in the form of architectural finishing elements. Due to the high representation in the discarded materials, low reuse rate and hot reconditioning potential, with the use of molds produced by digital fabrication, the plastic was selected as raw material for the development of finishing boards for the ceiling. As a way to add even more value to the product, it is used not only as aesthetic finish, but also contains a Phase Change Material, which contributes to the energy performance and thermal comfort in the environment where the finish is installed. The research, of an interdisciplinary nature, involved researchers from the areas of design, architecture, materials and environmental comfort.