Design of Perlite Based Thermal Insulation Plate and Determination of its Physical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties

According to the current fire regulations in Turkey, the use of insulation materials such as EPS, which are commonly employed in building insulation, is limited to buildings up to 28.5 m in height. The regulations mandate the use of Class A fire-resistant thermal insulation materials in high-rise buildings. However, these materials may present challenges in terms of application and sustainability. This study aims to develop a perlite-based thermal insulation board that is Class A fire-resistant, competitive with traditional insulation materials, and possesses optimal physical, mechanical, and thermal properties. In the production of the specimens, expanded perlite, liquid sodium silicate, and silicon powder were used, and tests for apparent density, compressive-flexural strength, capillary water absorption, and thermal conductivity were conducted in accordance with EN standards. In the first stage, the produced specimens were subjected to four different activation temperatures to determine the optimal process temperature. In the second stage, the ratios of perlite, sodium silicate, and water were varied to achieve the mixture design that yielded the highest mechanical properties from the specimens. In the final stage, water-repellent admixtures were incorporated into the batches at mass ratios of 1.5 %, 3 %, 4.5 %, and 6 %. The perlite-based thermal insulation board, which offers optimal properties in the most cost-effective manner, has an apparent density of 127 kg·m⁻³, compressive strength of 266 kPa, flexural strength of 156 kPa, capillary water absorption value of 0.0197 kg·m⁻²·min^−0.5, thermal conductivity of 0.0475 Wm⁻¹·K⁻¹, and a unit cost of 97 $ m⁻³. Consequently, the insulation board developed in this study presents a viable alternative to conventional insulation materials, offering Class A fire resistance.