Innovative cardboard based panels with recycled materials from the packaging industry: thermal and acoustic performance analysis

An effective use of thermal insulation materials can significantly reduce energy consumption in buildings, while a correct use of acoustic materials helps to guarantee good acoustic environments indoors and to reduce noise pollution. This work aims at determining the thermal and acoustic performance of corrugated cardboard panels usually applied in the packaging industry, by means of experimental in-lab analysis of thermal and acoustic properties. In particular, transmission loss and thermal conductivity were measured. Results show that the cardboard panels usually applied in packaging industry present promising performance in terms of acoustic insulation capability and thermal insulation performance, slightly lower than commonly used insulation panels. Further developments of the work will concern the analysis of the life cycle environmental and economic impact of the studied systems for building thermal-energy and acoustic performance optimization. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.