The thesis examines the potential use of recycled and alternative materials for the thermal insulation of buildings, with an emphasis on their thermal performance and environmental impact. The first part presents commonly used conventional thermal insulation materials and discusses the possibilities for reusing and recycling waste stone wool, glass wool, expanded polystyrene, and extruded polystyrene. The current market supply and the incorporation of recycled raw materials into insulation production were also reviewed. Selected alternative materials were then compared with conventional insulation materials in terms of their physical, thermal and environmental properties. Comparative calculations were performed for an external masonry wall with a target thermal transmittance of 0.18 W/(m²K) and a timber roof structure with a target value of 0.15 W/(m²K). For each insulation material, the required theoretical thickness was calculated, an actually available product thickness was selected, and the resulting thermal transmittance was recalculated. Based on data from Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), global warming potential from fossil sources (GWP-fossil), global warming potential from biogenic sources (GWP-biogenic), and non-renewable primary energy use (PENRT) were also compared. The results showed that the analysed alternative materials can achieve the required thermal performance when appropriate thicknesses are used, while considerable differences exist among individual solutions in terms of their environmental impact.
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