Search

The demand of high performance and environmentally sustainable construction materials is ever-increasing in the construction industry worldwide. The rapid growth of nanotechnology and diverse nanomaterials' accessibility has provided an impulse for the uses of smart construction components like nano-alumina, nano-silica, nano-kaolin, nano-titanium, and so forth Amongst various nanostructures, the core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) have received much interests for wide applications in the field of phase change materials, energy storage, high performance pigments, coating agents, self-cleaning and self-healing systems, etc., due to their distinct properties. Through the fine-tuning of the shells and cores of NPS, various types of functional materials with tailored properties can be achieved, indicating their great potential for the construction applications. In this perception, this paper overviewed the past, present and future of core-shell NPs-based materials that are viable for the construction sectors. In addition, several other applications of the core-shell NPs in the construction industries are emphasized and discussed. Considerable benefits of the core-shell NPs for pigments, phase change components, polymer composites, and self-cleaning glasses with enhanced properties are also underlined. Effect of high performance core-shell NPs type, size and content on the construction materials sustainability are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Properties of desirable weight, latent heat capacity, and energy storage capability of phase change materials (PCMs) have led to extensive use of these materials in the building industry as productive thermal mass. This study investigated the feasibility of the utilization of PCMs through numerical simulations in residential buildings located in different Iranian climates in Tehran, Tabriz, Yazd, and Bandar Abbas. In so doing, the optimal PCM for each city was selected based on its impact on annual energy consumption, and then its effects on the indoor temperature and thermal load of the model in the hottest and coldest months of the year were examined. The results showed that the use of PCMs does not lead to significant energy conservation in the hot and humid climate of Bandar Abbas compared with other climates. In the second part of the study, the economic feasibility of PCMs and the payback period of such investment were investigated based on the current local electricity and natural gas prices. It was found that although the use of PCMs leads to significant energy conservation in most of these climates, with the current prices of energy and PCMs in Iran, the use of these materials will not be cost-effective, as the return periods for such investment in Tehran, Tabriz, Yazd, and Bandar Abbas will be 42, 179, 102, and 114 years, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]