Effects of the form-stable expanded perlite/paraffin composite on cement manufactured by extrusion technique

This paper presented the experimental results of MOC (magnesium oxychloride cement) with the EP/PA (expanded perlite/paraffin) composite manufactured by extrusion technique. The objective of this study was to improve the thermal insulation and thermal storage capacity of MOC cement with satisfied mechanical properties, which was expected to be used as structural materials with self-thermal insulation and storage in buildings. The DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) results revealed that the paraffin has melting temperature and latent heat of 26.7 °C and 138.0 J/g, respectively. The EP/PA composite can be obtained by absorbing the paraffin into the porous structures of expanded perlite, which showed good thermal storage and thermal stability properties. The incorporation of EP/PA composite caused not only 80% reduction in thermal conductivity, but also 14 min peak load shifting in thermal cycling test due to the improved thermal storage capacity. In addition, the extrusion technique contributed to the higher compressive and flexural strength of MOC cement due to the denser and better fiber alignment of the mixture, varied between 17–45 MPa and 6–8 MPa, respectively. In conclusion, the MOC cement with the EP/PA composite manufactured by extrusion technique has great potential for the sustainable development of energy efficient buildings.