During the last decade, several institutions have proposed different ways to process sargassum, from turning it into footwear to blocks for construction, but none of these proposals have been developed on a large scale. However, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has found an innovative solution: the sargapanel. This invention was created by Miriam Rocío Estévez González, a researcher at the Center for Applied Physics and Advanced Technology in Juriquilla, Querétaro, and her team.
The sargapanel is similar to a standard drywall panel. Its core contains sargassum, and its coating uses a film obtained from this macroalga, similar to the paper used in traditional panels. This technology developed by Estévez and her team addresses issues such as unpleasant odor, mushroom production, and the limited flexibility presented by previous sargassum-based products. Estévez mentions that 5 kilograms of dried sargassum and between 50 and 60 kilograms of wet sargassum are needed to manufacture a standard panel.
One of the main advantages of the sargapanel is that it is recyclable. Unlike normal panels that contain fiberglass, the sargapanel is made up of macroalga and gypsum, allowing for recycling once its use is complete. In addition, this panel acts as a thermal insulator and has superior acoustic properties, making it ideal for the construction of buildings such as hotels in the Riviera Maya, as it is located in a region with sargassum presence.
The sargapanel also has the advantage of not catching fire as quickly as traditional drywall panels in the case of a fire. Scientists at UNAM have resolved the problem of fungus presence in the material and have found that collecting sargassum offshore rather than on beaches benefits the production of the panel, preventing erosion and pollution of the coasts.
The next stage is the investment of companies to begin industrial production of the sargapanel. The company Panelrey has expressed interest in licensing the technology developed by UNAM. To achieve this, both investment and cooperation from the government and private sector are required. The idea is for the Secretariat of the Navy, responsible for collecting sargassum in the Mexican Caribbean, to store and treat the biomass for use in manufacturing sargassum panels on a large scale. The proposal aims to turn an environmental problem into an opportunity for the generation of innovative and sustainable construction material.
