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GO STRAWMAT

Industrial use of rice straw waste to obtain fireproof materials with thermal insulation properties. (GO STRAWMAT)

  • Type Operational group
  • Status In progress
  • Execution 2024 -2027
  • Assigned Budget 597.320,00 €
  • Scope Supraautonómico
  • Autonomous community Andalucía; Castilla y León; Comunitat Valenciana
  • Main source of financing PEPAC 2023-2027
Abstract
Improvements and optimisations will be developed in specialised machinery that will allow the collection of rice straw regardless of its humidity at a lower cost, guaranteeing the supply chain and its quality for its subsequent valorisation. Technologies will be implemented for the transformation of straw into a new product with fireproof and thermal insulation properties in combination with wood for use in agricultural, livestock and construction sector buildings. The process can be integrated into the activity of agricultural cooperatives, improving economic results and generating a market formula that ensures the placing on the market of this by-product that initially poses a problem. To this end, different demonstration days will be held to ensure the transfer of results and practices for their assimilation by all members of the value chain. Workshops and a manual of good practices will be held for the collection of rice straw and the subsequent development of the fireproof and insulating material/product; as well as for the design and manufacture of the buildings.
Description

The project is developed by fulfilling a series of tasks linked to the project objectives, including the creation of collection systems, methods of treatment and adequate processing of rice straw for its subsequent processing, fireproof materials of natural origin from rice straw, a Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis (LCA) and viability of the new product obtained from rice straw and activities of transfer and implementation of solutions along the new value chain.

Description of activities
  • Selection and optimization of the harvester components and tools necessary to carry out its collection.
  • Study of the effectiveness of harvesting with the new optimized harvester.
  • Execution of pretreatment (crushing and drying) of the collected straw. Processing of treated rice straw to obtain profiles and cores.
  • Evaluation of the properties of the cores based on the characteristics and variety of rice straw.
  • Defibering of straw to obtain insulating material for blowing.
  • Evaluation of the physical-mechanical and thermal properties of the blown-in insulation material. Development of the construction system and integration of the fireproof material.
  • Evaluation of its structural, fire resistance, thermal, acoustic and permeability performance in its different variants. Manufacturing of demonstrators. Analysis of social life cycle impacts (LCA-S) and analysis of life cycle costs (LCC).
  • Preparation of the Business Plan.
  • Execution of 10 technical transfer actions in associations, vocational training centres and universities.
  • Execution of 3 Demo-days of two days each for agents in the sector.
Objectives

STRAWMAT focuses on boosting the economic activity of the rice sector by valorising rice straw waste as an input in the construction sector. A new value chain will be generated in the forestry and construction sectors, using rice straw as an input for the generation of a new bio-based fireproof and thermally insulating material that, combined with thermoplastic polymers and wood, will enable the development of a new construction system for use in different constructions: agricultural, livestock, buildings.

Results

The activities result in:

  • R1 Definition of the requirements for the collection of wet rice straw.
  • R2 Definition of the methodology to carry out the pretreatment of rice straw.
  • R3 Selection of resins and additives and treatment of rice straw to obtain the fireproof material.
  • R4 Definition of case studies and requirements for construction solutions.
  • R5 Environmental impact assessment through a life cycle analysis (LCA).
  • R6 Business Plan.
  • R7 Development of a manual of good practices for the implementation of the innovation processes developed.
Contact information
  • Name of coordinator/entity: THE UNITED STATES AND BRANCH OF THE VALENCIA COUNTRY
  • Postal address: C/ Marqués de Dos Aigües, 3-1, 46002, Valencia
  • Coordinator/entity email: launio@launio.org
  • Telephone: 963 53 00 36
Coordinators
  • LA UNIO LLAURADORA I RAMADERA DEL PAIS VALENCIA
Beneficiaries
  • LA UNIO LLAURADORA I RAMADERA DEL PAIS VALENCIA
Outsourced
  • AIMPLAS Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico
  • AGROBELGA S. COOP. AND.
  • FUNDACION CENTRO DE SERVICIOS Y PROMOCION FORESTAL Y DE SU INDUSTRIA DE CASTILLA Y LEON (CESEFOR)