This paper shows the characterization of a new lightened gypsum-based material for use in buildings. A plaster material has been designed with a polymeric compound based on polyvinyl acetate, bicarbonate and a boric acid solution, which reduce the density and thermal conductivity by up to 20% and 30%, respectively. In addition, tests have been carried out with the lightened plaster material reinforced with glass (GF), basalt (BF), polypropylene (PPF) and wood (WF) fibers. A significant improvement in mechanical properties was achieved. All samples obtained resistance values greater than 2 MPa in flexion and 3 MPa in compression. Physico-chemical analysis were also carried out. The study is completed with a statistical analysis, where confidence intervals have been obtained for the mean at 95% confidence for each of the physical properties studied.

There has been a growing interest in polymer-based materials in recent years, and current research is focused on reducing fossil-derived epoxy compounds. This review examines the potential of epoxidised vegetable oils (EVOs) as sustainable alternatives to these systems. Epoxidation processes have been systematically analysed and their influence on chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties has been assessed. Results indicate that basic, low-toxicity epoxidation methods resulted in resins with comparable performance to those obtained through more complex common/commercial procedures. In total, 5–7% oxirane oxygen content (OOC) was found to be optimal to achieve a balanced crosslink density, thus enhancing tensile strength. Furthermore, mechanical properties have been insufficiently studied, as less than half of the studies were conducted at least tensile or flexural strength. Reinforcement strategies were also explored, with nano-reinforcing carbon nanotubes (CBNTs) showing the best mechanical and thermal results. Natural fibres reported better mechanical performance when mixed with EVOs than conventional systems. On the other hand, one of the main constraints observed is the lack of consistency in reporting key chemical and mechanical parameters across studies. Environmental properties and end-of-life use are significant challenges to be addressed in future studies, as there remains a significant gap in understanding the end-of-life of these materials. Future research should focus on the exploration of eco-friendly epoxidation reagents and standardise protocols to compare and measure oil properties before and after being epoxidised.

The high demand for natural resources and increased industrial activity is driving the construction sector to search for new, more environmentally friendly materials. This research aims to analyse plaster mortars with the incorporation of construction and demolition waste (CDW) to move towards a more sustainable building sector. Three types of aggregates (natural, recycled concrete and recycled from ceramic walls) and two types of insulation waste (expanded polystyrene with graphite and mineral wool) have been added to the plaster matrix to evaluate its mechanical and physical properties and its suitability in the elaboration of prefabricated materials. The results show how plaster mortars made with recycled aggregates have higher mechanical resistance than conventional plaster without incorporating sand. The incorporation of crushed mineral wool residues improves the flexural strength of plaster mortars and their application in the execution of prefabricated panels. Likewise, the expanded polystyrene residues reduce the final density of mortars, improving their behaviour against water absorption and reducing the final thermal conductivity of plaster material.

Plaster is one of the most used and studied materials in the building process. This paper shows the result of the characterisation of a new plaster-based material enlightened and reinforced with polymers and end-of-life tyres’ recycled materials. As far as end-of-life tyres are a common waste item, this paper offers new recycling possibilities, as well as significant improvements in new building materials. Mechanical, thermal conductivity, sound absorption, fire reaction and environmental impact are studied and analysed. Three different end-of-life tyres’ recycled materials are used, two size rubber and textile fibres. A significant density reduction up to 17% was achieved mainly due to end-of-life materials lower density. Two thermal conductivity measurement methods, heat flux meter and guarded hot plate, were conducted and then compared. A 20% improvement with respect to the reference was achieved in those samples with textile fibre. The two methods’ measurements got a 1% difference in all samples analysed except textile fibre. Thus, this allowed to validate these methods and assure these measurements. Sound absorption was also measured. These materials reached α = 0.32 in high frequencies. Performance in low frequencies were lower. Fire tests led to no ignition results and no fire propagation. Finally, a basic global warming potential impact study based on environmental product declaration (EPD) is conducted. The most relevant result of this study is the potential 20–34% reduction of CO₂ emissions with the elaboration of these composites.

The incorporation of rubber recycled aggregates from end-of-life tyres (ELT) in the manufacturing process of sustainable building materials has gained great interest in recent decades as a result of the large volume of this waste being generated annually. In this work, the objective is to make a contribution towards the circularity of construction products by carrying out a physico-mechanical characterisation of new gypsum composites made with the incorporation of these recycled rubber aggregates. To this end, up to 30% by volume of the original raw material has been substituted, analysing the mechanical resistance to bending and compression. Although lower than those of traditional gypsum material, both properties exceed the limits set at 1 and 2 MPa, respectively, by the current regulations. In addition, water absorption by capillarity significantly decreases, and thermal conductivity is reduced by more than 35% with respect to the reference material. Finally, in order to provide the research with a practical application, a prefabricated plate design has been proposed that incorporates the gypsum materials studied and an agglomerated rubber band that increases the thermal resistance and improves the efficiency of the designed construction system. In this way, this research reflects the potential of these novel building materials and explores new avenues for their application in building construction.

At present, the development of new eco-friendly building materials for the production of lightweight partitions has become a challenge in order to advance towards the industrialization of the building sector. This work aims to design, characterize, and analyze the possibilities of applying innovative ecological gypsum composites lightened with hemp. To achieve this, samples have been prepared with partial replacement of 15% and 30% in volume of the original gypsum material by adding hemp both in the form of powder and fiber. The results show how the replacement of 15% of gypsum by hemp fiber with a length between 8 and 12 mm improves the flexural strength of the composites. Likewise, all the dosages prepared for this study have met the minimum requirements for mechanical strength required by current regulations, while also improving the water resistance behavior of gypsum composites. However, the main advantage derived from the use of these hemp-lightened gypsum-based materials lies in their reduced thermal conductivity, being up to 50% lower than that obtained for traditional materials. These results suggest the possible application of these materials to produce prefabricated boards and panels for a more sustainable construction.