Polystyrene insulation material

Styropm. [BASF BASF AG] Expand-abte polystyrene insulating material. 

In the mid-to-late 1980s, growth estimates of the use of polystyrene and polyurethane ceUular plastic insulation materials and products were a healthy 10% per year and greater for phenoHc (40,41). The principal appHcation where strongest growth was forecast for these types was for roofing, especially single-membrane systems (42). 

General-Purpose Polystyrene. Polystyrene is a high molecular weight M = 2 — 3 x 10 ), crystal-clear thermoplastic that is hard, rigid, and free of odor and taste. Its ease of heat fabrication, thermal stabiUty, low specific gravity, and low cost result in mol dings, extmsions, and films of very low unit cost. In addition, PS materials have excellent thermal and electrical properties that make them useful as low cost insulating materials (see Insulation, ELECTRIC Insulation, thermal). 

Polystyrene is now available in certain forms in which the properties of the product are distinctly different from those of the parent polymer. Of these by far the most important is expanded polystyrene, an extremely valuable insulating material now available in densities as low as 1 Ib/ft (16kg/m ). A number of processes have been described in the literature for the manufacture of the cellular product of which four are of particular interest in the manufacture of large slabs. 

If samples are transported frozen, the packaging containers should be made of a hard and impact-resistant material such as polystyrene. Cardboard cartons with insulating material can also be used. 

The reverse occurs in the production of foams and consumer items. These plants are usually constructed close to the prospective markets. Insulating materials are often so light that the cost of shipping per ton is very high. Only a small amount of mass can be loaded in a boxcar or truck. The density of polystyrene is 2.4 lb/ft3 (38.5kg/m3). It is made from styrene, which has a density of 56.3 lb/ft3 (902 kg/m3). The foam product occupies 23 times as much space as the styrene, and the polystyrene would cost between 10 and 20 times as much to ship. 

Polystyrene can be moulded, cast or extruded in sheets, rods and tubes. It can be easily pigmented. It finds wide, application in making household goods, lenses, plastic moulds, toys, wood laminates, films, battery boxes and electrical components. Expanded polystyrene is used as thermal insulating material and packaging. It is also used in lifejackets and floats. 

The thermal insulation materials used in the walls, ceilings, and floors of refrigerated storage are usually combustible, such as polyurethane and polystyrene foam, and could present an additional fire hazard. The insulation should be covered with a noncombustible barrier material a V2-in (1.3-cm) thickness of Type-X gypsum board or cement plaster is often used for this purpose. Where the floor is insulated, the floor insulation should be covered with a layer of concrete. 

The current polymer foam market is dominated by gas imbibed polystyrene, polyolefins and polyurethanes used in consumer products, packagings and construction markets. However, there is a growing market for high performance foam products. Insulation materials for aerospace, transportation and some construction industries are required to have higher temperature performance and non-flammability. In this respect polyimides are naturally the material of choice. 

Introduction. It has been recognized that CFC-ll-blown rigid urethane foams are the insulation materials with the lowest thermal conductivities, in comparison with other insulation materials, such as water-blown rigid urethane foams, glass-fiber materials, or polystyrene foams. 

AH 103 EPS 303 Guidelines for Reporting Thermal Transmission Properties of Polystyrene Foam Insulating Materials, Thermal Conductance, and Transmittance of Built-Up Construction Systems. 

Work has been done in a number of states using tire shreds as a subgrade fill in the construction of highway embankments and other fill projects. Tire shreds weighs considerably less than conventional soil fill and this allows construction on weak compression foundation. The use of tire shreds for most projects is considerably cheaper than alternatives, such as expanded shale aggregate and polystyrene insulation blocks. Scrap tire materials have also been used to retain forest roads, protect coastal roads from erosion, enhance the stability of steep slopes along highways, and reinforce shoulder areas. The importance... 

Extruded foam polystyrene (EFPS) is used in construction as heat insulation material, leave-in-place forms, and so on. However, insufficient temperature resistance prevents its widespread use as a structural building material. 

Polypenco Q200.5. [Polymer Corp.] Crosslinked polystyrene rigid insulating material for Ul F, VHP, and micro-wave insulatcxs, communication and... 

Solids having low k values are used as heat insulators to minimize the rate of heat flow. Porous insulating materials such as polystyrene foam act by entrapping air and thus eliminating convection. Their k values are about equal to that of air itself. Data showing typical thermal conductivities are given in Appendixes 10 to 14. 

Smith et al. used polystyrene beads in sulfur to form an insulating material (7). Unfortunately, the beads are melted by the molten sulfur. It was believed that exfoliated vermiculite might serve the same purpose... 

The thermal conductivity of polymers is found to depend on the degree of crystallinity. The crystalline portions of the structure have a higher thermal conductivity than do the disordered regions of the solid. Materials with high porosity, such as plastic foams, have particularly low thermal conductivities. Foamed plastics such as polystyrene are widely used as insulating materials. 

Extruded Polystyrene - A type of insulation material with fine, closed cells, containing a mixture of air and refrigerant gas. This insulation has a high R-value, good moisture resistance, and high structural strength compared to other rigid insulation materials. 

The insulation resistance of most plastic insulating materials is affected by temperature and the relative humidity of the atmosphere. The insulation resistance falls off appreciably with an increase in temperature or humidity. Even polystyrene, which has very high insulation resistance at room temperature, becomes generally unsatisfactory above 80°C (176°F). Under these conditions polymers like polytetrafluoroethylene and polychlorotrifluoroethylene are more suitable. Plastics that have high water resistance are relatively less affected by high humidities. 

Several types of insulator materials— Teflon, polyethylene, polystyrene, silicon, dacron, ioplexes, ethylene-vinyl acetate and ethylene acrylic acid copolymers, glass, etc.—have been examined for their electrokinetic characteristics. In some of these cases, the surface charge characteristics have been modified by prior electrical or chemical treatment. The correlations which have been drawn between the electrokinetic and anti- or prothrombogenic characteristics of these materials are presented in the next section. 

Expanded polystyrene is currently used as a popular packing or insulating material in various industrial fields in the world. A large quantity of expanded polystyrene is consumed, and is disposed as a waste. Effective recycling countermeasures against the waste expanded polystyrene are strongly requested [1]. 

In various asphalt processing methods, the rheological properties of the compounded asphalt are of primary importance. One invention shows how, by blending different fractions of crude oil, the processing properties can be optimized for pavement applications. In another recent invention,solvent-free polyurethane was compounded with asphalt. Such products have always contained substantial amounts of solvents to reduce viscosity to the level that allows the material to be cold applied with simple techniques. Using organoclay as compatibilizer for polyurethane and asphalt and a suitable plasticizer, elimination of solvent becomes possible. In addition to environmental safety, these products can be used safely on substrates which would otherwise be affected by solvents the formulation (e.g., polystyrene insulation boards). This is one example which shows that the benefits of solvent free systems go beyond the elimination of air pollutants. 

In these 5 Polymer Foams, currently, the largest shipment has been Foamed Polystyrene, which is classified to Expandable Polystyrene (EPS), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), and Polystyrene Paper (PSP). Among those, EPS and XPS Polymer Foams are used for high performance insulating materials. 

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