Spent Coffee Grounds as Building Material for Non-Load-Bearing Structures

Tala Moussa (1) , Chadi Maalouf (1) , Christophe Bliard (2) , Boussad Abbes (1) , Céline Badouard (2) , Mohammed Lachi (1) , Silvana Do Socorro Veloso Sodré (3) , Lina Bufalino (4) , Fabien Bogard (5) , Fabien Beaumont (1) , Guillaume Polidori (1)

1 MATIM - Matériaux et Ingénierie Mécanique
2 ICMR - Institut de Chimie Moléculaire de Reims - UMR 7312
3 ISARH - Instituto SocioAmbiental e dos Recursos Hidricos
4 ICA - Instituto de Ciências Agrácias
5 URCA UFR SEN - URCA - UFR Sciences exactes et naturelles

The gradual development of government policies for ecological transition in the modern construction sector leads researchers to explore new alternative and low environmental impact materials with a particular focus on bio-sourced materials. In this perspective, the mechanical, thermal insulation, and the sound absorption performances of a spent coffee grounds/potato starch bio-based composite were analyzed for potential application in buildings. Based on thermal conductivity and diffusivity tests, the coffee grounds waste biocomposite was characterized as an insulating material comparable with conventional thermal insulation materials of plant origin. Acoustical tests revealed absorption coefficients in the same range as other conventional materials used in building acoustical comfort. This bio-sourced material presented a sufficient compressive mechanical behavior for non-load-bearing structures and a sufficient mechanical capacity to be shaped into building bricks. Mechanical, thermal, and acoustic performances depend on the moisture environment. The groundwork was laid for an initial reflection on how this composite would behave in two opposite climates: the continental climate of Reims in France and the tropical climate of Belém in Brazil.

Mots clés: spent coffee grounds; potato starch; bio-based composite; acoustical properties; mechanical properties; hygrothermal properties

Domaines: Construction durable; Matériaux composites et construction; Acoustique [physics.class-ph]; Matériaux

Tala Moussa, Chadi Maalouf, Christophe Bliard, Boussad Abbes, Céline Badouard, et al.. Spent Coffee Grounds as Building Material for Non-Load-Bearing Structures. Materials, 2022, 15 (5), pp.1689. ⟨10.3390/ma15051689⟩. ⟨hal-03594028⟩