IMPROVING XPS INSULATION BOARDS NEW INSULATION PRODUCTS

摘要

The World's Insulation market is dominated by EPS steam chest molded insulation boards (~ 50%), mineral wool (~ 30%) and Polyurethane (PUR; 10%) and XPS (～4%). EPS was and is gaining an increasing market share, as with the development of the BASF Neopor~R black foam, the insulation properties could be improved significant by dropping the lambda value from ～40 to ～30mW/m~2K. The best insulation properties of the common products still has PUR with down to ～22mW/m~2K (only vacuum panels, aerogels or other new products have lower lambda values). Mineral wool has been losing market share, as the lowest lambda values, that could be achieved, could not be significantly reduced below ～40mW/m~2K. XPS lambda values increased when the 2nd generation of air conditioning gasses was banned: the boards based on CO2 / Ethanol (or alternatives like DME, Butane, Propanol, Acetone,...) as blowing agent achieve as lowest 30mW/m~2K. Regular lambda values are ～34mW/m~2K compared with ～29mW/m~2K with the 2nd generation of air conditioning gasses (banned in most developed countries). With the 4th generation of air conditioning gasses XPS reaches (2011) a lowest lambda value of 27mW/m~2K (25mW/m~2K for special applications). This paper focuses on a new concept of insulation boards: by bonding foam sheets together EPS steam chest molded densities can be produced - but with much lower lambda values compared even with BASF Neopor~R.