Date of Defense
9-4-2026 4:30 PM
Location
F1-1077
Document Type
Dissertation Defense
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering
College
COE
Department
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
First Advisor
Prof. Basim Abu-Jdayil
Keywords
Thermal Insulators, Cellulose Aerogels, Wood Foams, Biopolymers, Green Building Materials.
Abstract
This dissertation is concerned with the use of date palm waste for the preparation of green lightweight aerogels and foams. Cellulose extracted from date palm wood waste is utilized to fabricate cellulose aerogels. Moreover, wood foams are prepared from whole biomass wood waste, without any prior treatment or extraction processes. The aim of this research is to produce sustainable, green, environmentally friendly heat insulation materials the construction, to replace commercial and fossil-fuel derived heat insulators. In this research, cellulose is extracted from date palm trees waste using both traditional and green environmentally friendly solvents. After extraction, cellulose aerogels are prepared through dissolving the cellulose in ionic liquids, a non-toxic green solvent. In addition, wood foams were prepared from whole biomass waste, without any prior treatment or extraction, using two types of biopolymer gums, which are Gellan and Xanthan gum, as binding materials. Relevant properties for the application such as thermal conductivity, thermal stability, density, porosity, water retention, and mechanical strength were evaluated. The developed material achieved high thermal insulation through low thermal conductivity values, ranging between 0.019 W/m·K to 0.074 W/m·K, for the Gellan gum wood foams, and cellulose aerogels, respectively. Moreover, the developed materials are ultralight, possessing density values as low as 31 Kg/m3, which is attributed to Xanthan gum wood foams, and sustaining high sound insulation properties, with sound absorption as high as 0.97 for cellulose aerogels. Overall, Gellan gum foams outperformed other three systems, by achieving the lowest thermal conductivity, and maintaining the second highest mechanical integrity. The developed materials hold the significance of being totally sustainable, by consisting of biomaterials, and processed through green and environmentally friendly methods. The research provides insight about the possibility of using biomaterials derived from date palm trees to produce thermal insulation in construction, whether in raw form, or through the extracted cellulose.
Included in
SUSTAINABLE CELLULOSE AEROGELS AND BIOFAOMS FROM DATE PALM WASTE FOR THERMAL INSULATION APPLICATION
F1-1077
This dissertation is concerned with the use of date palm waste for the preparation of green lightweight aerogels and foams. Cellulose extracted from date palm wood waste is utilized to fabricate cellulose aerogels. Moreover, wood foams are prepared from whole biomass wood waste, without any prior treatment or extraction processes. The aim of this research is to produce sustainable, green, environmentally friendly heat insulation materials the construction, to replace commercial and fossil-fuel derived heat insulators. In this research, cellulose is extracted from date palm trees waste using both traditional and green environmentally friendly solvents. After extraction, cellulose aerogels are prepared through dissolving the cellulose in ionic liquids, a non-toxic green solvent. In addition, wood foams were prepared from whole biomass waste, without any prior treatment or extraction, using two types of biopolymer gums, which are Gellan and Xanthan gum, as binding materials. Relevant properties for the application such as thermal conductivity, thermal stability, density, porosity, water retention, and mechanical strength were evaluated. The developed material achieved high thermal insulation through low thermal conductivity values, ranging between 0.019 W/m·K to 0.074 W/m·K, for the Gellan gum wood foams, and cellulose aerogels, respectively. Moreover, the developed materials are ultralight, possessing density values as low as 31 Kg/m3, which is attributed to Xanthan gum wood foams, and sustaining high sound insulation properties, with sound absorption as high as 0.97 for cellulose aerogels. Overall, Gellan gum foams outperformed other three systems, by achieving the lowest thermal conductivity, and maintaining the second highest mechanical integrity. The developed materials hold the significance of being totally sustainable, by consisting of biomaterials, and processed through green and environmentally friendly methods. The research provides insight about the possibility of using biomaterials derived from date palm trees to produce thermal insulation in construction, whether in raw form, or through the extracted cellulose.