International Conference on Civil Engineering

Architecture & Urban Sustainable Development

18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

Investigation and Application of Nanotechnology in

the Energy Efficiency of Buildings

Mohsen Babaei *1 , Mohadese Mahmoudi Mehneh2

1. Student of B.S - Civil Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad
University, Mashhad, Iran
Mohsen_babaei@rocketmail.com
2. Student of B.S-Architecture, Department of Architecture, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University,
Mashhad, Iran
M.mahmoodi0@yahoo.com

Abstract
Today, Nanotechnology is one of technology which provides more comfort and saves energy
consumption. Considering various aspects of this technology, it is important to deal with its
phenomenon and having enough knowledge about its aspects and applications. Nanotechnology is a
structure science of particulate matter in nanoscale, which material properties and phenomena are
changed. New properties and behaviors which form in nanoscale are not necessarily due to loss of
material dimensions and cannot be predicted on a larger scale, but the main reason of these changes in
material behavior are natural phenomena of nanoscale and its size limitation and quantum mechanics.
Material properties are improved by controlling material dimensions in nanoscale and devise
performance reaches to a level far beyond that is available now. This science provides possibility to
produce material with required properties in different parts of buildings, facilities and equipment, and
optimize energy directly or indirectly. This Technology reduces the thermal conductivity. In this
article Nanotechnology and its applications in energy efficiency in building and its advantages as well
as advantages of Nano insulation than other thermal insulations are investigated.

Key words: Nanotechnology, Thermal Insulation, Nano Insulation Materials , Nansulate Thermal
Insulation, Energy Efficiency

1. Introduction
 International Conference on Civil Engineering
Architecture & Urban Sustainable Development
18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

The world today is step toward the use of new technology by using sciences of
biotechnology, nanotechnology, electronic, information technology and new material because
of economic and social problems regarding fossil energy consumption and considering the
matter that Fossil resources are limited and nonrenewable and someday will dwindle. Great
achievements and capabilities of nanotechnology are codified to utilize it in many countries.
According scientific definition: nano refers to dimension of material with diameter between 1-
100 nm. Nano is equal to 10-9 or 10A (Angstrom) with a diameter equal to 5 atoms.
Nanotechnology has great potential in energy saving and efficiency. Materials made of this
technology are able to multiply efficiency. These materials are harder, lighter, safer and self-
healing than equivalent sample and their deployment has a great impact on energy efficiency.

Some applications of nanotechnology in construction and energy efficiency are as follows:

1- Produce colors with Nanostructure which change according environmental and

weather conditions.
2- Manufacture appropriate sensors and controllers which optimize energy consumption
by improving efficiency of energy transfer, production and consumption.
3- Manufacture crystals having nanostructure which causes to produce and make
available much cheaper solar cells, therefore energy production is more economical by
these cells and any building can supply its required energy. Nanocrystals are used also
for necessary water purification of building and energy for pumping and purifying
water is saved. Moreover, this nanocrystals dispose sewage. Splashing nanocrystal can
be used to reduce thermal transfer and save energy by creating a matrix composed of
energy reduction centers and reduce material convection ability.
4- Produce insulation material using nanotechnology and its application in lateral
surfaces of building.
5- Produce porous inorganic hosts to absorb environmental pollution and save air
ventilation and filtration.
6- Increase in convection rate in fluids by suspension of their crystalline nanoparticles
and therefore power dissipation is minimized.

Materials made by nanotechnology have particular thermal conductivity. Considering

appropriate density, these materials can transfer heat from contact surface to thermal cavity
with high thermal resistance.

2.The Traditional Thermal Insulation of Today

The traditional thermal building insulation materials of today includes:

● Mineral Wool
● Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
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Architecture & Urban Sustainable Development
18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

● Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)

● Cork
● Polyurethane (PUR)

3.The State of The Art Thermal Insulation of Today

The state of theart thermal building insulation materials and solutions of today includes:
● Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP)
"An evacuated foil encapsulated open porous material as a hight performance thermal
insulation material"
 Core (silica, open porous, vacuum)
 Foil (envelope)
● Gas-Filled Panels (GFP)
● Aerogels
● Phase Change Materials (PCM)
 Solid State ↔ Liquid
 Heat Storage and Release

Naturally, Phase change materials (PCM) are not considered as the insulation materials
forthermal building purposes. They are regarded for their completeness since they can be used
as a part of a performance thermal building envelope, in which PCM are contributing in the
performance of the total thermal building envelope via storage and release of heat during the
transformation of solid state to liquid phase. But it must be noted that, in this context, the
PCMs are not discussed more.

4. Thermal Conductivity
The typical thermal conductivity values for the traditional and state-of-the-art thermal
building insulation materials are:

● Conceret
 200 – 2000 mW/(mK)
● Mineral Wool, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) and
Cork
 32 - 40 mW/(mK)
● Polyurethane (PUR)
 20 - 30 mW/(mK)
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Architecture & Urban Sustainable Development
18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

● Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP)

 4 mW/(mK) fresh
 8 mW/(mK) 25 years ageing (moisture and air penetration)
 20 mW/(mK) perforated
● Gas-Filled Panels (GFP)
 40 mW/(mK)
● Aerogels
 12 – 20 mW/(mK)

It must be in reminded that, normally, the concrete is regarded as construction materialrather

than a thermal insulation one. Nonetheless since it is used extensively and also for making
comparison, the concrete's thermal conductivity range is provided here.As a thermal
insulation material, Polyurethane (PUR) is widely used, although in its intended application it
is safe, but in case of fire it creates serious health concerns and dangers. When PUR is burnt,
it produces and releases very poisonous products such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and
isocyanates. The toxicity of HCN originates from the cyanide anion (CN-) which inhibits the
cellular respiration.Hydrogen cyanide generally is found in smoke comes from the burning of
the nitrogen (N) containing plastics.

For the purpose of gaining sufficient low thermal transmittances (U-values) for the structures
in coldand/or changing climates regions where the outdoor temperature sometimes drops well
below 0˚C, the alternative thermal insulator materials or solutionsare needed in order to avoid
too thick buildings envelopese.g. walls with thicknesses in the range of 40 cm to 50 cm as to
satisfy passive house or zero energy building requirements.

5. Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP)

Vacuum insulation panels are superior compared to traditional thermal insulation materials
with respect to achieving the lowest possible thermal conductivity. However, the VIPs do
also have several drawbacks:

● Thermal bridges at panel edges

● Currently expensive, but calculations show that VIPs may be cost-effective even today
● Ageing effects – Air and moisture penetration
● Vulnerable towards penetration, e.g nails
● Can not be cut or adapted at building site
● Condensation issues through thermal building envelope (i.e. as VIPs are moisture
tight)

6. Nano Insulation Materials (NIM)

 International Conference on Civil Engineering
Architecture & Urban Sustainable Development
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The development from VIPs to nano insulation materials (NIM) is depicted in Fig.1. In the
NIM the size of the pores in the material is reduced below a specific level, i.e. 40 nm or even
less for air, in this way, the total thermal conductivity less than 4 mW/(mK) in the pristine
condition is achieved.
Therefore, a NIM is a homogeneous material with a closed or open small nano porous
structure which possesses an overall thermal conductivity below 4 mW/(mK) in the pristine
condition.

Figure 1. The development from VIPs to NIMs [Jelle et al. 2010].

7. The Knudsen Effect – Nano Pores in NIMS

Reduction of the pore size of the material below a certain level, i.e. a pore diameter of the
order of 40 nm or even less for airresults invery low(< 4 mW/(mK)with an adequate low-
conductivity grid structuregas thermal conductivity and as a result the overall thermal
conductivity also decreases even in the case of the air-filled pores.
This is due to the so-called Knudsen effect where the mean free path of the gas molecules is
larger than the pore diameter. That is, a gas molecule located inside a pore will ballistically hit
the pore wall and not another gas molecule. The gas thermal conductivity λgas taking into
account the Knudsen effect may be written in a simplified way as (Handbook of Chemistry
and Physics 2003-2004, Scwab et al. 2005, Baetens et al. 2010, Jelle et al. 2010):

(1)

Where

(2)

Where
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18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

λgas = gas thermal conductivity in the pores (W/(mK))

λgas,0 = gas thermal conductivity in the pores at STP (standard temperature and pressure)
(W/(mK))
β = coefficient characterizing the molecule - wall collision energy transfer efficiency
(between 1.5 - 2.0)
kB = Boltzmann’s constant ≈ 1.38·10-23 J/K
T = temperature (K)
d = gas molecule collision diameter (m)
p = gas pressure in pores (Pa)
δ = characteristic pore diameter (m)
σmean = mean free path of gas molecules (m)

The Knudsen effect is visualized in a 2D and a 3D graphical plot in Figs 2-3, respectively,
also depicting the low thermal conductivity threshold value of 4 mW/(mK). Note that these
plots are logarithmic with respect to the pore diameter and the pore pressure.
The hard sphere collision diameters have been applied for d in the calculations, i.e. 3.66, 3.58,
4.08 and 4.78 Ǻ for air, Ar, Kr and Xe, respectively (given at 298.15 K, Handbook of
Chemistry and Physics 2003-2004). That is, the covalent diameters of the gas molecules have
not been employed in these calculations. Furthermore, β = 1.75 and T = 300 K have been
chosen in the calculations. In addition, λgas,0 values of 26.2, 17.9, 9.5 and 5.5 mW/(mK)
have been applied for air, Ar, Kr and Xe (at 300 K), respectively. In Fig.2 a pore gas pressure
of 100 000 Pa (≈ 1 atm = 101 325 Pa) has been chosen.
For these chosen values in Figs.2-3, a rapid decrease between pore diameters 1 μm - 10 nm
and pore pressures 10 Pa - 0.1 Pa is demonstrated in the gas thermal conductivities for all the
four gases.
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Architecture & Urban Sustainable Development
18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

Figure 2. The effect of pore diameter on the gas thermal conductivity for air, argon, krypton and
xenon. From Eqs.1-2.[1]
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18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

Figure 3. The effect of pore diameter and gas pressure in pores on the gas thermal conductivity
visualized in a 3D plot for air. From Eqs.1-2.[1]

8. Thermal Radiation In NIMS

By application of the Stefan-Boltzmann relation it is indicated that the radiation thermal
conductivity reduces in a linear pattern by decrease of the pore diameter, in which the slope of
the decrease is determined by the emissivity of the inner pore walls. Therefore the smaller
pores, and the lower emissivity result in the lower the radiation thermal conductivity.

9. Total Thermal Conductivity In NIMS

In order to obtain the lowest possible overall thermal conductivity, the solid state lattice
conductivity in the NIMs has to be kept as low as possible. If the low-conductivity solid state
lattice and the low gas thermal conductivity are reached, and what still determines the thermal
transport, i.e. larger than the thermal radiation part, then the NIMs can be the highly
performed thermal insulator materialsfor tomorrow and the future.
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Architecture & Urban Sustainable Development
18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

10. Nansulate Thermal Insulation

Nansulate is a new material of nanotechnology that is a protective material and an appropriate
thermal insulation against three types of convection including radiation, replacement and
convective. Use of nansulate is very easy, as desired surface can be coated by airbrush, brush
or painting rolls.

There are different types of nansulate including:

1- Nansulate PT-type with excellent adhesion which is designed for metal surfaces, steel,
galvanized metal, aluminum and other metals.
2- Nansulate GP-type with excellent adhesion which is designed for various non-metallic
surfaces such as wood, wall, concrete, PVC, and more.
3- Nansulate TOP coat-type which usually is used for final coating.

Thermal resistance of Nansulate is in temperature between 40 to 125 ° C.

11. Results and Discussion

This section presents the results and discussion of the operational energy analysis of the case
study building for both prefabricated steel and concrete construction approaches.

11-1- Operational energy analysis

The annual operational energy for the building clearly indicates that for the heating energy
requirements are much greater than energy requirements for cooling (by at least 180 per cent).
There is also a significant difference in operational energy requirements between the concrete
and prefabricated steel construction types.

Table 1: Annual operational energy requirements for steel and concrete structural scenarios by
square metre of floor area (NLA = 3943m2)[2]

Structure Annual operational energy Annual operational energy

type
(Kwh/m2) (GJ/m2)

Heating Cooling Total Heating Cooling Total

Steel 40.0 12.5 52.5 0.14 0.05 0.19

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Concrete 36.8 8.7 45.5 0.13 0.03 0.16

The total operational energy for heating and cooling calculated was 45.5 and 52.5 kWh/m2/yr
for concrete and prefabricated steel respectively (table 1). The difference shown in operational
energy due to the difference in the thermal mass of the two construction materials selected.
Steel having a high heat storage capacity but it also has a very high rate of thermal
conductivity which means that heat is absorbed and released too quickly for any meaningful
thermal mass efficiency. Concrete with their high heat capacity and density but moderate
thermal conductivity offers a good balance and therefore concrete requires a lower operational
energy.

11-2- Insulation with Nansulate

With the application of Nansulate, it is clearly shows that the annual operational energy
required for the building is less compared to the cellulose insulation. It is evident that
presence of Nansulate without cellulose gives the best energy consumption as illustrated in
Table 2.

Table 2: Operational Energy consumed comparison with respect to different insulation

options[2]

Insulation options Operational energy over a year

steel concrete

Heating Cooling Total Heating Cooling total

(kWh/m2yr)

Base with 100mm cellulose 40.0 12.5 52.5 36.8 8.7 45.5

Base w/o 100mm cellulose 42.2 12.6 54.8 36.9 5.9 42.8

Nansulate inside with cellulose 37.4 11.5 48.9 35.8 7.7 43.4

Nansulate inside no cellulose 39.5 12.2 51.6 36.1 6.7 42.8

Nansulate outside with cellulose 36.3 10.3 46.6 34.8 6.6 41.4

Nansulate outside no cellulose 36.6 8.9 45.5 34.7 5.0 39.6

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60

50
Operational energy (kwh/m2yr)

Steel without Insulation

40

Steel with Insulation using

30 Cellulose
Steel with Insulation using
20 Cellulose and Nansulate
Steel with Insulation using
10 Nansulate

0
Heating Total

Fig. 4: Operational energy over one year for steel.[2]

50

45

40
Operational energy (kwh/m2yr)

35 Concrete without Insulation

30
Concrete with Insulation using
25 Cellulose
20 Concrete with Insulation using
Cellulose and Nansulate
15
Concrete with Insulation using
10 Nansulate
5

0
Heating Total
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Fig. 5: Operational energy over one year for steel.[2]

The results in Figure 4 & 5 indicate that the application of Nansulate in the exterior of the
building results a significant operational energy reduction compared to conventional
insulation material like cellulose resulting saving of 7.47% in operational energy
consumption. The removal of cellulose insulation result a saving of 5.9% of the total floor
area of the building when Nansulate is applied to the building. The Nansulate insulation
coating when applied to the exterior of the walls, it will be less hazardous to the occupants of
the building.

12. Conclusion
Nowadays, energy efficiency is one of the concerns of engineers and officials in all countries;
therefore nanotechnology is a new technology to solve some of these problems.

Insulation Nanomaterials seem to predict best solution and performance for low thermal
conductivity for the future. Applications of NIMS coatings encompass all parts of building
including wooden frames and concrete building.

Also this study has considered two forms of construction for a multi-residential building,
conventional concrete construction and prefabricated steel construction. The results have
shown a significant difference in the operational energy requirements associated with the two
construction types due to their specific thermal masses. This study has further assessed an
operational energy savings of 7.47% with the application of insulation material Nansulate, a
product of nanotechnology. With the results obtained from the operational energy analysis
through TRANSYS, it was shown that Nansulate provides an effective insulation for both
construction methods used against the conventional insulation material cellulose. As the
Nansulate coating requires a space of few mm’s the results show a saving of 5.9% of the total
floor area as a replacement for cellulose.

Considering the matter that Iran has different weather climates, and per capita energy
consumption in household sector is more than European countries with same climate, so use
of nanotechnology and insulate building by this technology is appropriate and affordable
which may reduce energy consumption in construction sector.

References
 International Conference on Civil Engineering
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18 &19 December 2013, Tabriz , Iran

[1] Jelle B.P , Gustavsen A , Grynning S , Wgger E , Sveipe E , Baetens R.Nanotechnology and
possibilities for the Thermal Building Insulation Materials of Tomorrow. zero emission buildings -
proceedings of Renewable Energy Conference 2010, Trondheim, Norway.

[2] Gammampila R , Mendis P , Ngo T , Aye L , Herath N , Application Of Nano Insulation

Materials In The Sustainable Built Environment . International Conference on Sustainable Built
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Jelle B.P, Gustavsen A , Baetens R, The Path to the High Performance Thermal Building Insulation
Materials and Solutions of Tomorrow, Accepted for publication in Journal of Building Physics, 2010.

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Guggemos A.A, Horvath A, Comparison of Environmental Effects of Steel- and Concrete Framed
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Lawson W.R, Building Materials, Energy and the Environment: Towards Ecologically Sustainable
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Scalisi F, Nano structured materials in new and Existing Buildings: to Improved Performance and
saving of energy, Nanotechnology in Construction , 351,2009.
International Conference on Civil Engineering
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