Investigating sustainable insulation materials: Analysis of biofoams and petroleum-derived foams

We evaluated the thermal insulation properties of expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), corn-based biofoam (CBF), and eggshell-derived polyurethane (PDE) to identify sustainable alternatives to conventional insulators. We hypothesized that bio-derived materials, such as CBF and PDE, could provide comparable or even superior insulating performance while offering significant environmental benefits. Using a heat flow meter, we measured thermal conductivities, revealing that PDE exhibited the lowest conductivity (0.029 W/(m⋅K), suggesting superior insulative properties compared to EPP and CBF, which demonstrated higher conductivity (0.038 W/(m⋅K) and 0.045 W/(m⋅K) respectively). Thermal stability tests under cyclic thermal stress indicated that PDE maintained structural integrity better than other materials, particularly EPS and CBF, which showed considerable degradation. These results support the potential of eggshell-derived polyurethane as an effective, eco-friendly insulation material, warranting further research into its production scalability and environmental impacts.