Low-carbon indoor humidity regulation via 3D-printed superhygroscopic building components

Magda Posani; Vera Voney; Pietro Odaglia; Yi Du; Anastasija Komkova; Coralie Brumaud; Benjamin Dillenburger; Guillaume Habert

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-54944-1

Low-carbon indoor humidity regulation via 3D-printed superhygroscopic building components

Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 10;16(1):425. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54944-1.

Authors

Magda Posani^{1

2}, Vera Voney^{3

4}, Pietro Odaglia⁵, Yi Du^{3

6}, Anastasija Komkova³, Coralie Brumaud³, Benjamin Dillenburger⁵, Guillaume Habert³

Affiliations

¹ Chair of Sustainable Construction, Institute of Construction and Infrastructure Management (IBI), ETH Zürich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland. magda.posani@aalto.fi.
² Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland. magda.posani@aalto.fi.
³ Chair of Sustainable Construction, Institute of Construction and Infrastructure Management (IBI), ETH Zürich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Oxara AG - Sustainable construction and affordable housing, 8953, Dietikon, Switzerland.
⁵ Chair of Digital Building Technology, Institute of Technology in Architecture (IA), ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁶ Laboratory for Concrete & Asphalt, Empa, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.

PMID: 39794308
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54944-1

Abstract

Indoor humidity can significantly impact our comfort and well-being, often leading to the use of mechanical systems for its management. However, these systems can result in substantial carbon emissions and energy precarity. This study offers an alternative: using low-carbon materials that naturally buffer moisture to passively regulate the indoor humidity. A geopolymer composite incorporating industrial waste is implemented via binder jet 3D printing technology. The superhygroscopic nature of the material, combined with the optimal geometry of 3D-printed components, unlocks remarkable potential for passive humidity regulation, achieving a moisture buffering value over 14 g·m⁻²·%RH⁻¹. The use of 3D-printed, geopolymer tiles for surface finishing in a library hosting 15 people was shown to improve annual indoor hygrometric comfort by up to 85%, a performance inconceivable with conventional materials and techniques. Additionally, the environmental impact of these tiles is significantly lower than that of a conventional dehumidification system. This study paves the way for merging highly hygroscopic, low-carbon materials with advanced manufacturing techniques to regulate indoor humidity levels and reduce our dependency on mechanical systems.