BASF - High-quality insulation under the plaster Neopor granules
for new high-performance insulation
For the first time the potential of Neopor® is being
fully utilized, now that BASF’s silver-gray plastic
granules are used in new high-performance insulating
materials. Thermal insulation panels made of this
expandable polystyrene (EPS), which meet the strict
heat-protection requirements of the new quality type 032
for External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS),
have recently become available. The low thermal
conductivity of the panels, 0.032 W/(m.K), can already
be achieved with a material density of 17 kg/m³. Neopor
panels of the quality type 032 demonstrate that Neopor
has a considerably higher insulation capacity than
conventional EPS while, at the same time, requiring less
material. This means that BASF granules can make a major
contribution to energy efficiency and environmental
protection.
Granules with advantages for cost-efficient construction
The outstanding insulating capacity of panels made of
Neopor is especially evident at low densities. In order
to attain the low thermal conductivity of 0.032 W/(m.K),
a mere 540 kg of Neopor are needed to produce a 16
cm-thick insulation for a building shell of 200 m². In
comparison to this, about 970 kg of conventional EPS
such as Styropor® would be required for the same surface
area if the same insulation capacity is to be attained.
This translates into raw material savings of over 40
percent.
The type 032 insulation materials made of Neopor are
particularly well-suited for façade insulation using
ETICS: the insulation panels are attached to the
building wall and covered with a special plaster and
glass tissue that prevents cracks. A finishing coat of
plaster is then applied over this. Industry and research
have steadily refined ETICS over the past 40 years.
Today they can be used for all kinds of buildings,
whether old or new, single-family homes or multi-unit
housing complexes. Other new fields of application for
Neopor include panels having a thermal conductivity of
0.031 W/(m.K) (type 031). They are available starting at
a density of about 25 kg/m³ and consequently can
withstand a greater compressive load of the kind needed,
for instance, for insulating floors or flat roofs.
BASF’s Neopor – the innovative refinement of Styropor
Neopor, BASF’s expandable granules, is used for the
production of thermal insulation panels. The black beads
are processed into silver-gray foamed blocks, panels or
molded parts. The raw material contains special graphite
particles that reflect heat radiation like a mirror,
thus reducing thermal losses. This means that a smaller
amount of Neopor attains the same insulating effect as
Styropor. Aside from ETIC systems, typical areas of
application for Neopor include impact-sound insulation,
the insulation of pitched and flat roofs as well as of
attic and basement ceilings. Because of the high demand
for Neopor, BASF is expanding its production capacities.
In Ludwigshafen, the capacity will be gradually
increased from 60,000 to 190,000 metric tons per year.
BASF also recently started producing the granules in
South Korea for the local market.
Email:
chris.wilson@basf.com
Arundel Jones Associates Ltd
Hill Farm, Linton Hill, Maidstone, Kent ME17 4AL
Tel : 01622 745333
news@buildingdesign.co.uk
Registered in England and Wales No. 07334149
News Categories : Insulation thermal insulation
materials
|
Insulation
thermal insulation materials
