Wheat Straw Becomes Sustainable Insulation Material

UB Researchers Use Farm Waste to Create Eco Friendly Insulation

A research team at the University at Buffalo (UB) is exploring how wheat straw—an agricultural byproduct—can be used to build eco-friendly insulation panels for homes and buildings.

Chi Zhou, associate professor at UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, leads the team. He explains, “Unlike fossil fuels, which take millions of years to form, biomass materials, such as wheat straw, can be harvested and replanted regularly.”

With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, Zhou’s team has developed a way to turn straw into strong, thermally efficient insulation. The material’s natural fibers and pores help it resist flames and hold up under pressure.

They produce insulation by processing the straw into fibers, mixing it with an organic binder, and forming a 3D-printable ink. Using a custom-designed printer with multiple nozzles and a slot-die system, the team creates consistent and durable insulation panels.

This innovation reduces emissions, supports local farming communities, and offers customized options for furniture, packaging, and construction.

Their findings were published in the Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering and presented at the ASME Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference.

“If wheat straw were to be widely adopted,” Zhou says, “it not only would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it would also reduce agricultural waste and provide an environmentally friendly and affordable source of insulation for homes and commercial buildings.”

The team plans to scale up production by partnering with industry leaders and turning lab success into commercial solutions.