Natural, bio-based, colored linoleum: Design, preparation, characteristics and preliminary life cycle assessment

Bio-based construction elements and materials are undergoing a wide diffusion due to the growing attention for limiting the environmental impact of the construction sector nowadays. Following this trend towards increased sustainability in buildings and their components, here a novel bio-based linoleum, colored by means of bio-based pigments is investigated. The linoleum design and development are presented, and the different samples are characterized with respect to optics, thermal and acoustic properties. Moreover, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is carried out to assess the impact of the material on environment and human health. Possible applications are then discussed. Findings demonstrate that the natural pigments are able to effectively color the linoleum. Solar reflectance of the samples falls between 28.8% and 42.7%, while thermal conductivity varies between 0.28 and 0.37 W/mK and acoustic absorption coefficient is around 0.5 and varies the peak frequencies with respect to the thickness of the air layer behind the sample. Finally, the investigated sample of natural pigment reduces the impact categories on the environment by up to 94.1% through its life cycle, with respect to same-color synthetic pigments.