A composite wall panel having a front surface, a rear surface, and side surfaces extending therebetween is provided. The panel includes a cured composition of pieces of cellulose and/or chaff and at least one binder. A wall assembly is also provided. The assembly includes: a frame including a plurality of linearly arranged elongated studs having a top end, a bottom end, and a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side extending between the respective ends; a plurality of interconnected wall panels mounted to the first side of the elongated studs of the frame to form a first wall portion; a plurality of interconnected panels mounted to the second side of the elongated studs to form a second wall portion; and an insulating layer inserted within a cavity between the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

The biodegradable composite insulation material is a composite of wood from the date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera) and polylactic acid. The composite may have up to 50 wt % date palm wood powder of maximum particle size of 212 m, the balance being polylactic acid (PLA). The composite may be prepared by melt blending the date palm wood powder with polylactic acid pellets in a twin screw extruder at 190 C., followed by compression molding the blend in a press or the like into the desired shape for building thermal insulation, and finally, annealing the molded product for three hours at 95 C. The composite material is biodegradable, thermally insulating, water-resistant and relatively strong.

An acoustical panel apparatus includes a laminate panel substrate that is receptive to ink printing operations. The substrate may be provided with folding grooves to form an apertured base, a sidewall, and an inner wall which together define a receptacle. An acoustical tuning body is positionable at the receptacle to attenuate at least one of sound transmissions and sound reflections from sound passing through the apertures in the base. A mounting bracket is attached to the panel to secure the acoustical tuning body at the receptacle and for mounting the panel substrate to a wall or ceiling.

Process for manufacturing a blow-in insulation material made of straw, including a processing step in which the straw is crushed between rolls in a crushing apparatus, a crushing nip in the crushing apparatus being selected in such a way that the straw nodes are crushed during the crushing operation.

Disclosed are biodegradable insulation materials comprising a structural scaffold; and at least one temperature resilient fungus. Also disclosed are methods of making and using biodegradable insulation materials comprising a structural scaffold; and at least one temperature resilient fungus. For example, disclosed are methods of insulating an infrastructure comprising administering the disclosed biodegradable insulation materials to an infrastructure.

A method of bonding together surfaces of two or more elements. The method includes the steps of providing two or more elements, applying an adhesive to one or more of the surfaces to be bonded together before, during or after contacting the surfaces to be bonded together with each other, and curing the adhesive, wherein the adhesive comprises at least one hydrocolloid.

A privacy apparatus includes one or more substantially cork panels. Each panel can be configured to provide visual and/or sound privacy for a certain work space. The panel can be supported on a floor via one or more base elements and/or may be reinforced in rigidity and/or strength via one or more supports. Some embodiments of the apparatus can include a first panel and a second panel attached together via one or more supports press fit within openings defined in rear faces of the panels.

Devices and methods for compressing thermal insulation material into blocks of insulation are disclosed which include a support surface for the compressed blocks of insulation, a compression device with a compression surface, and a feeding device for feeding thermal insulation material. By adapting the compression device for reciprocal movement between a first position, wherein the feeding device is allowed to feed thermal insulation material to a position on the support surface, and a second position, wherein, during movement from the first position to the second position of the compression device, thermal insulation material fed by the feeding device is compressed, highly compressed blocks of thermal insulation material are obtained that are suitable for use with known shredding devices.

A residential or commercial building, structure, or building component can include an exterior member, interior member, and plurality of cross-members spatially disposed therebetween. Each of the exterior member, interior member, cross-members can be formed from a multi-layered stack of polymeric material made by a layered three-dimensional printing process, and all can be monolithically integrated. An exterior surface region of the exterior member can have an integrally formed surface finish. Overlying finishing or connective layers can be added. The exterior and interior members can be configured in a parallel arrangement to form a rectangular or curve shaped building block. A fill material can be disposed into openings between the exterior and interior members, and an interior surface region at the interior member can include a cavity configured for an electrical box, plumbing, or a sensing device.

The present invention relates to a method of providing thermal and/or acoustic insulation to a structure, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate which comprises fibres; applying the substrate to the structure; blending the substrate with a binder composition before, during or after application of the substrate to the structure; allowing curing of the binder composition after the substrate and the binder composition have been applied to the structure; wherein the binder composition comprises at least one hydrocolloid. The present invention also relates to an insulated structure obtainable by said method.