Sustainable composite building materials and related methods of manufacture
View Patent ↗Sustainable composite materials for interior spaces and related methods of manufacture are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the sustainable composite materials include a load-bearing stud. The load-bearing stud includes a plurality of woven burlap layers impregnated with a magnesium oxide resin. The load-bearing stud is formed by creasing a woven burlap sheet to form multiple foldable panels, wetting the foldable panels with a curable resin, layering the foldable panels to achieve a multi-layered prepreg, pressing the multi-layered prepreg to distribute the resin therethrough, compacting the multi-layered prepreg within a mold cavity having the exterior shape of the load-bearing stud, and curing the multi-layered prepreg, wherein the resin includes a mixture of mono-potassium phosphate and magnesium oxide. The load-bearing stud provides a lightweight, dimensionally stable, and environmentally-friendly composite structure to replace lumber studs and metal studs in building constructions.
1. A method for forming a load-bearing member, comprising:
creasing a woven burlap sheet to form a plurality of foldable panels;
wetting the foldable panels with a magnesium oxide resin;
folding the foldable panels to achieve a multi-layered prepreg;
pressing the multi-layered prepreg to distribute the magnesium oxide resin;
compacting the multi-layered prepreg within a mold cavity having the exterior shape of the load-bearing member, wherein the load-bearing member includes a generally U-shaped cross-section; and
curing the multi-layered prepreg.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the curing step is performed at room temperature.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the resin includes an agitated mixture of magnesium oxide, mono-potassium phosphate and water.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the resin includes a ratio of mono-potassium phosphate and magnesium oxide between about 3:1 and 1:1 by weight.
5. A The method according to claim 1 for forming a load-bearing member, comprising:
creasing a woven burlap sheet to form a plurality of foldable panels;
wetting the foldable panels with a magnesium oxide resin;
folding the foldable panels to achieve a multi-layered prepreg;
pressing the multi-layered prepreg to distribute the magnesium oxide resin;
compacting the multi-layered prepreg within a mold cavity having the exterior shape of the load-bearing member, wherein the load-bearing member includes a generally C-shaped cross-section, and
curing the multi-layered prepreg.
6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the curing step is performed at room temperature.
7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the resin includes an agitated mixture of magnesium oxide, mono-potassium phosphate and water.
8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the resin includes a ratio of mono-potassium phosphate and magnesium oxide between about 3:1 and 1:1 by weight.