Material. Characteristics

Styrofoam - light gas-filled plastic foam material class based on polystyrene.

Expanded polystyrene - economical, non-toxic, has good heat and sound insulating properties. Modern production of foam enable it to withstand most chemically aggressive medium, high humidity and ambient temperature. Styrofoam regularly serves for many years and is extremely easy to use. Moreover, it was possible to buy a foam retardant additives, which makes it resistant to burning

Characteristics. Thermal conductivity and efficiency.

Thermal conductivity - one of the key properties of insulating materials. Good performance of heat can reduce the thickness of insulation needed to provide the desired level of heat, and thus the cost of the material itself.

Approximate calculation of the wall thickness of a homogeneous material to meet the requirements

Wall material                          Coefficient of thermal conductivity   The required thickness of the material, m

Polystyrene foam                               0,039                                                                                   0,12

Mineral wool                                      0,041                                                                                   0,13

Reinforced concrete                            1,7                                                                                      5,33

Selikatny brick                                    0,76                                                                                     2,38

Glue a wooden block                           0,5                                                                                      0,16

Expanded clay concrete                       0,47                                                                                    1,48

slag concrete                                      0,6                                                                                     1,88

Water proofness.The assessment base isolation, lays below ground level, the methods of tests to determine the impact on the foamed polystyrene, associated with exposure to freezing and thawing. Styrofoam, melted properly, was subjected to 50 cycles of freeze / thaw in 4% solution of sodium chloride. Salt solution provided stringent tests. Results after 50 cycles of freezing / thawing showed no effect either on the cell structure of foamed polystyrene, or the integrity of its structure. Such use of the material in climates with seasonal temperature variations over the years confirms that the cycles of freeze / thaw very little effect on the structure of high-quality foam.

Chemical and biological neutrality.Processors Association of polystyrene (EPSMA, USA) in 2004 sponsored a test program to study the possibility of mold on styrofoam. Testing laboratory of SGS conducted the study in accordance with the national standard "method of determining the resistance of mold insulation and cladding materials." Test specimens of polystyrene had been screened for five different types of mold, to test them for mold growth. The results showed that under ideal for growth mold under laboratory conditions, fungi and mold from growing is not formed.

Durability of Styrofoam.Service life of high-quality foam is confirmed by various tests. Thus, as part of research the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology, the results of which were published in 1999, identified a minimum service life of building materials in the construction of buildings. Minimum service life of polystyrene was determined in 60 years. According to the results of Russian tests, durability of the material was at least 80 years.

The special properties of foamed polystyrene. Because of the nature of modern cellular polystyrene, used in construction, are produced by providing the use of special chemical additives, stabilizers, flame retardants and heat stabilizing. These supplements significantly increases resistance to oxidative polystyrene, thermo-oxidative and thermal degradation.

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