Making construction materials economically and environmentally friendlier

March 13, 2023

Researchers at Purdue University have developed an innovative and adaptable technique for increasing the thermal inertia of construction elements by effectively integrating phase change materials. This process leads to a decrease in the amount of energy consumed by buildings, resulting in an improvement in their carbon footprint.

Parag Vasekar

Senior Licensing Analyst – Physical Sciences

PROBLEM
Heating and cooling accounts for more than half of all home energy costs in the United States. The building and construction sector is responsible for a high percentage of the world’s global energy-related carbon emissions.

SOLUTION
Purdue researchers have introduced a patent-pending, scalable, automatable process to improve the method to incorporate phase change materials, or PCMs, into construction materials. PCMs moderate the effect of outside temperature changes on an indoor environment, which reduces energy consumption, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions and operational costs.

IN THE MEDIA
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2023/Q1/helping-construction-material-manufacturers-reduce-the-energy-consumption,-carbon-footprint-of-heating-and-cooling-homes.html

VIDEO
Click here to watch a new method to create high thermal inertia materials

PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR
Mirian Velay-Lizancos, a Purdue University assistant professor of civil engineering

INNOVATION DISCLOSURE
https://inventions.prf.org/innovation/8379

LICENSING CONTACTS
Email: otcip@prf.org

MEDIA CONTACT
Email: Steve Martin // sgmartin@prf.org