Thermal performance of lonicera rupicola grass as a building insulation composite material

To reduce heating energy consumption and operating costs in winter, it is necessary to improve building insulation performance. In Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China, there is a unique filling material named lonicera rupicola grass that is widely used to thermally insulate buildings. However, its thermal performance is unknown to date. Herein, the thermal conductivity of different lonicera rupicola samples with various densities is determined in this paper, and its thermal performance is compared with that of other common typical building materials in the Tibetan areas. Experimental results have shown that lonicera rupicola grass has a very low thermal conductivity. However, its performance improves with increasing packing density. In addition, as a locally and widely available plant, lonicera rupicola can be obtained at minimal cost. Therefore, as a green and ecological building material, its use in floors and roofs for buildings has the advantage of saving energy, reducing costs, and protecting the environment. Graphical Abstract