Insulation for Structural Insulated Panels

Abstract

A method for insulating a building panel involves chopping plant matter into pieces having a specific size range, mixing gluten with warm water, forming a slurry, adding a catalyst that precipitates cross-linking to the gluten slurry, mixing the chopped plant matter with the gluten slurry having been mixed with the catalyst, and adding the plant matter mixed with the gluten slurry to one or more volumes in a structural frame.

1 . A method for insulating a building panel, comprising:
 chopping plant matter into pieces having a specific size range;   mixing gluten with warm water, forming a slurry;   adding a catalyst that precipitates cross-linking to the gluten slurry;   mixing the chopped plant matter with the gluten slurry having been mixed with the catalyst; and   adding the plant matter mixed with the gluten slurry to one or more volumes in a structural frame.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising introducing one or both of heat and airflow after the plant matter mixed with the gluten slurry is added to one or more volumes in the structural frame. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  comprising selecting the plant matter from one of or a mixture of wheat, rice, barley or oat straw. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  comprising chopping the plant matter into pieces of a size range from one-eighth to two inches inclusive. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  comprising selecting the catalyst as an enzyme. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  comprising selecting transglutaminase as the enzyme. 
     
     
         7 . An insulated building panel, comprising:
 one or more volumes for insulating material;   insulating material in at least one of the one or more volumes, the material comprising plant matter chopped into pieces of a specific size range, mixed with a gluten slurry formed with warm water, with an added catalyst that precipitates cross-linking.   
     
     
         8 . The insulated building panel of  claim 7  further comprising heat and airflow. 
     
     
         9 . The insulated building panel of  claim 7  wherein the plant matter is one of or a mixture of wheat, rice, barley or oat straw. 
     
     
         10 . The insulated building panel of  claim 7  wherein the plant matter is in pieces in a size range from one-eighth to two inches inclusive. 
     
     
         11 . The insulated building panel of  claim 7  wherein the catalyst is an enzyme. 
     
     
         12 . The insulated building panel of  claim 11  wherein the enzyme is transglutaminase.