Foam, advantages Insulating material

Foamed composites have the advantages of high strength/density ratio, corrosion resistance and light weight. Possible applications include corrosion-resistant structural materials, structural-insulation materials, corrosion-resistant insulation materials and light-weight structural materials. Some application examples of foamed composites are as follows. 

The main advantages of foamed plastics are low consumption of raw materials, reduced weight, excellent heat and sound-insulation and mechanical damping. Important applications of polymer foams include packaging materials, insulation, sound absorption and upholstery. 

Cellular forms of neoprene are used primarily for gasketing, insulation, cushioning, and soimd and vibration damping. This material provides compressibility not foimd in solid rubber but still retains the advantageous properties of neoprene. It is available as an open-cell sponge, a closed-cell neoprene, and a foam neoprene. 

The main advantages of using foam concrete is that the density of the material can be varied between 300 and 1600 kg/m, and the foam provides good insulation properties and it is easy to handle by pumping. However, several properties still need to be modified in order to make foam concrete an even more competitive material. There is a need to decrease the shrinkage and the water uptake, and to increase the strength and the insulation ability. At present, the foam structures can be enhanced by the use of various additives, such as microsilica or superplasticizers which reduce the cement/water ratio and improve the stability. Polyester fibre additives enhance the hardening and also improve the tensile properties. 

The major advantages of expanded-foam insulations are their ease of fabrication, relatively low cost, and self-supporting structure. They can either be foamed into flexible sheets, foamed in place, or foamed into rigid insulation sections. Their structural rigidity depends on the mechanical properties of the basic materials from which they were expanded and on the size and configuration of the cellular network. The ability of foams to maintain their shape may eliminate the need for other supports of greater thermal conductivity for the inner shell of a cryogenic container. 

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