This is pretty cool. It's always good to discover new uses of stuff which would otherwise just be waste.
posted by entity447b at 12:02 AM on November 3, 2024

2007: Straw Bale Homes Protect Against Fire Where Conventional Homes Fail. "Straw bale homes are different. Straw bale houses are known for and have been tested to resist fire by up to three times that of conventional homes."
posted by user92371 at 12:56 AM on November 3, 2024 [2 favorites]

Nice!

From the end of the article:

"At the end of that building's life, when it's not needed there, it gets returned to a flat pack as a kit and it gets taken away to another family in need.

"Some of those buildings have been rebirthed, coming up to five times now, over [a] 20-year period."

So even though it starts out as waste and can ultimately be recycled, it's suitable for re-use. (I wasn't expecting that.)
posted by demi-octopus at 1:09 AM on November 3, 2024

Yes, but how well do they stand up against wolf breath?
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 3:39 AM on November 3, 2024 [11 favorites]

This is so fascinating!
posted by Zumbador at 4:50 AM on November 3, 2024

The niftiest part, for me: this being such a clear demonstration that the lignin plants make to hold their structural cellulose fibres together is not only literally a glue, it's a thermoplastic glue that can be melted and re-set as long as care is taken not to scorch it. That opens up so many possibilities for low-impact processing of agricultural byproducts that we've traditionally just wasted.
posted by flabdablet at 6:17 AM on November 3, 2024 [5 favorites]

Fight fire with straw. Neat.
posted by AlSweigart at 7:00 AM on November 3, 2024

There's a lot of interesting work being done with natural metamaterials now. Particularly various forms of engineered lumber with a similar trick of compressing it. And layers at cross grain, for strength. Also usually resins or other impregnated chemicals. These straw panels are "no added chemicals, no glues added, no binders". It's neat that straw alone has fire prevention properties when compressed enough.
posted by Nelson at 9:29 AM on November 3, 2024

Mind blown. Thanks for sharing this.
posted by medusa at 9:48 AM on November 3, 2024

The product is made by Ortech, for some reason the article completely omits this.

They are very similar to what used to be called Stramit board which you might find in post war construction and which I think was an internationally used name. Stramit is now a different company.

The boards are very rigid and have good structural properties, that's great, but I wish they'd produce a less dense, less structural product for insulation purposes along the lines of wood wool. The current product is insulative but not greatly.
posted by deadwax at 12:40 PM on November 3, 2024

One way to think of this is that some amount of carbon could, depending on its allotype, become a lump of coal, stick of graphite, or a diamond. It takes more than a match to burn a diamond (though it is possible).
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 1:13 PM on November 3, 2024

Instead, when the panel comes into contact with a flame it blocks the heat transfer to the other side and carbonises.

Reminds me of Yakisugi, only without the need to pre-burn it.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 4:45 PM on November 3, 2024

very similar to what used to be called Stramit board

Looks to me like they are Stramit board.

a less dense, less structural product for insulation purposes along the lines of wood wool

reads "tinder" to me, but perhaps I misunderstand the fire triangle.
posted by flabdablet at 8:14 PM on November 3, 2024

I don't think stramit used to necessarily come with the paper liner and the name may also have covered the cement stabilised products, I'm not sure.

reads "tinder" to me, but perhaps I misunderstand the fire triangle.

Like this or more the density of straw bales. Straw bales are not necessarily regarded as fire risks but have lower thermal conductance than the Ortech products. I'm not saying it's necessarily a plausible product, I don't know, but I'd love to see a locally produced insulation batt along these lines.
posted by deadwax at 10:14 PM on November 3, 2024