Advances in Thermal Insulation of Extruded Polystyrene Foams

Extruded polystyrene foams (XPS), which have been

manufactured using a variety of organic and inorganic

blowing agents since their discovery in the early 1940s, are

now often utilized as thermal insulators in building and

construction. Regulations governing blowing agents have

compelled foam suppliers to find new polymer-blowing-agent-

additive combinations.

High mechanical strength, foam integrity, and moisture

resistance must all be maintained while still providing high

performance insulation. The heat resistance of XPS blasted

with hydrofluorocarbon HFC-134a and carbon dioxide is the

main topic of this paper. Depending on the proportion of IR-

attenuators, IRblockers such carbon black and graphite

diminish the heat conductivity of CO2 blasted XPS between 1

and 310-3 W/m.K. Presenting the properties of a new XPS

solution that combines CO2 with IR blockers. This item has

received CE certification and complies with DIN EN 13164,

the European XPS product standard.

In conclusion, Extruded polystyrene foams' thermal

conductivity can be greatly increased by enhancing cell gas

conduction and/or minimizing radiative heat transfer. Other

crucial XPS characteristics including mechanical properties,

water resistance, creep performance, fire retardancy

compliance, and durability must not be adversely impacted by

this enhancement. To ensure the long-term performance of

extruded polystyrene foams, high concentrations of low or

non-flammable insulating blowing agent are needed. The best

thermal performance is produced by HFC-134a with zero ODP

when compared to other insulating materials. Blends of HFC-

134a and HFC-152a are unable to achieve the low lambda

values seen in products like Styrofoam-XTM blown with

HFC134a. Thermal insulation for non-HFC foams can be

improved sustainably by adding IR-attenuators. Graphite is

shown to be marginally superior to carbon black, despite the

fact that both materials are capable of a decrease of 1 to 3

10–3 W/m.K, depending on the amount of additive used. The

short- and long-term physical characteristics of IR-

attenuating CO2-blown extruded polystyrene foams meet the

requirements for low- or passive-energy homes.

Von, C. V., Bunge, F., Duffy, J., & Hood, L.

(2011). Advances in Thermal Insulation of Extruded

Polystyrene Foams. Cellular Polymers, 30(3), 137–

156. doi:10.1177/026248931103000303 
 Thermal Insulation Properties of Expanded Polystyrene as

Construction and Insulating Materials

Testing insulating materials' thermal conductivity in a

lab yields useful details regarding the composition of such

materials; the resulting information may characterize in-

service performance. Insulation continues to perform in

construction installations in a variety of temperature,

humidity, and overall assembly circumstances. According to

the results of taken laboratory tests, the entire

insulation-building construction assembly is crucial to

managing and forecasting the long-term characteristics of a

structure.

Knowledge of density, thermal conductivity, material

class, and mechanical qualities of insulation performance is

crucial for determining design values for thermal

conductivity of insulating materials. Experimental testing

are used in this work for the expanded polystyrene that is

homogeneous or nearly homogeneous, porous, grainy, or

multilayer that is used as insulation and construction

material.

According to established protocols, the plate method

has been employed for experimental studies. This device is

used to measure the thermal conductivity of extruded

polystyrene. Expanded polystyrene has densities between 10

and 30 kg/m3 in this apparatus, which can be utilized for

materials whose thermal conductivity is between 0.036 and

0.046 W/mk. The results and experimental techniques are

discussed in accordance with accepted norms. Changes in the

make-up of the substances in the cells have an impact on

expanded polystyrene.

Yucel, K. T., Basyigit, C., & Ozel, C. (2003, June). Thermal

insulation properties of expanded polystyrene as

construction and insulating materials. In 15th Symposium in

Thermophysical Properties (pp. 54-66).