MgO as Interior Sheathing
Ongoing
This work connects northern access to building materials with the question of whether magnesium oxide board performs reliably enough to use. Earlier project work explored a community-owned MgO-board production facility for northern Saskatchewan. A subsequent MASc study compared five commercial MgO products with gypsum and cement board, and current collaborative work is moving from product comparison toward formulation development using recycled Canadian materials.
Project overview
What the study measured
More than 100 specimens were used to measure density, porosity, heat capacity, thermal conductivity, resistance to water-vapour movement and moisture storage. Those measured properties became inputs to a 25-year wall simulation using Toronto weather conditions.
Current formulation research
A current collaboration with Rocktree MgO Construction Materials Inc., Kevin Zhang at York University and Sarah Haines at the University of Toronto will investigate MgO formulations made with recycled Canadian materials, primarily mining waste and by-products. The work is intended to support later pilot production, but it has not yet established an optimal formulation.
Inside the thesis
Thesis
- 2025Investigation into the Hygrothermal Performance of Magnesium Oxide (MgO) Board