STRAWMAT Operational Group: Industrial use of rice straw residue to obtain fireproof materials with thermal insulation properties.

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.