Home heating tariffs are constantly growing, and in this regard, people began to think about the possibilities of energy saving. Many people insulate their apartments and houses. For this, facade foam is used, which is considered one of the best for these tasks. This material is also called expanded polystyrene. The technology for its production was developed in 1928, but this product went into mass production in 1937. What else is known about this effective insulation material?
The history of the invention of foam plastic
In 1839, a German pharmacist, while experimenting with styrax, accidentally obtained styrene. Then, after studying the substance he discovered, Eduard Simon noticed that the oily substance after a while compacted itself, turning into something like jelly. The pharmacist did not see any practical value in his discovery. The substance was named styrene oxide, andno one else did it.
They returned to this composition in 1845. Chemists Blyth and Hoffman became interested in styrene.
Thus, specialists from Germany and England conducted several of their own experiments and studies and in the course of this they found that styrene turns into jelly without oxygen. Blyth and von Hoffmann named it metastyrol. Then, after 21 years, the compaction process was called "polymerization".
In the 1920s, German chemist Hermann Staudinger made an important discovery. In the process of heating, styrene starts a chain reaction, during which chains of macromolecules are formed. This discovery was then used to make various polymers and plastics.
Foam in industrial production
The first styrene synthesis process was performed by researchers from The Dow Chemical Company. The commercial production of polystyrene was started by Basf. In the 30s, engineers developed and established a technology for the manufacture of polymerized styrene. In 1949, a patent was obtained for the manufacture of balls foamed with pentane. Then, on the basis of this, the industrial production of such material as facade expanded polystyrene began.
How is it produced?
Polystyrene in granules is used as raw material. To create cells, special reagents are used that foam the material.
At the first stage of production, the granules are poured into the hopper, where pre-foaming takes place. The granules take the form of a ball. To get an efficientheat insulation material with low density, this process is repeated several times.
Each time the balls get bigger and bigger. Between the stages of foaming, the balls are placed in a special hopper, where the pressure inside the granules stabilizes within 12-24 hours and drying occurs.
Then the resulting product is placed in a special molding machine, where a block is formed under the influence of high temperature steam. The granules, which are in a rather narrow mold, stick together at high temperatures, retaining their shape after cooling.
Blocks that have serious dimensions are cut to standard sizes. However, before that, the material is placed in intermediate storage. During the production process, the facade foam is gaining moisture, and it simply will not work to cut it evenly. There are two popular technologies for the production of this insulation. This is suspension as well as mass polarization. In the CIS countries, in Europe and America, both the first and second methods are successfully used.
Styrofoam Classification
Today, this insulation is produced using more advanced technologies, which has significantly improved the properties of the material. So, today they produce foamed polystyrene. The foaming process is started with a hydrocarbon. When heated, it becomes volatile, and the polystyrene balls swell and stick together.
Facade foam plastic is distinguished by manufacturing technology and divided into groups. This is a heater thatmade by sintering technology, and a board obtained by foaming their granules.
Also, the material differs in marking.
- PS - extruded foam.
- PSB - non-press suspension.
- PSB-S - suspension pressless self-extinguishing.
- Extruded polystyrene foam - XPS.
Product brand PSB has a uniform dense structure. These characteristics determined the scope of its use. Panels for the facade of this brand can have a density of up to 50 kg/m3.
Extruded foam is one of the best materials around. In the manufacturing process, extrusion is used. XPS is sufficiently resistant to various kinds of mechanical stress, has a high level of density and has excellent waterproofing characteristics.
The most common, affordable and popular among consumers is PSB foam. It is widely used as a heater. However, if we compare it with pressed material, then PSB loses significantly in strength.
Differences in thickness and density
The energy-saving characteristics of this material are due to the low level of thermal conductivity. If we compare the facade foam plastic with any other insulation available on the construction market, then the energy-saving abilities of the foam plastic will be much higher. So, for example, a plate with a thickness of only 12 mm corresponds to a brick wall with a thickness of 2.1 m (or wood - 0.45 m).
Features of popular foam grades
So, PSB-S-15 has a density of 10-11 kg/m3, PSB-25 has a density of 15-16 kg/m3. Polyfoam PSB-25F facade in density - 16-17 kg / m 3. The density of PSB S35 is 25-27 kg/m3, and PSB-S50 is 35-37 kg/m3.
Sufficient density for facade insulation
A reasonable solution would be to use PSB-35 material with a density of 25 kg/m3. You can also choose a higher value. But in this case, the heat-insulating properties are weaker. If you use PSB-S-25, then this material will not provide rigidity for the facade. In the process of finishing work, there is all the risk of damaging the plates.
PSB-15 brand plates can also serve as a heater and at the same time will not exert significant loads on the walls of the house. However, this foam plastic is practically not used for the facade - the low strength is to blame.
This brand is most often used for insulation of structures adjacent to the building. It can be the walls of various verandas or balconies. Also, this brand is widely used in finishing work on corners or window openings.
Sufficient thickness for styrofoam
Slabs are often used, the thickness of which is from 5 to 7 cm. This size is ideal for a huge number of buildings. Plates with a thickness of 150 mm are used where it is necessary to intensively insulate the wall. For example, it could be a heavily ventilated wall.
Do not use too thick plates. This can create certain difficulties, as well as unreasonable costs. ATIn most cases, it is best to use panels with a density of 35 kg/m3 with a thickness of 15 cm than PSB-S-25 with a thickness of 100 cm and a density of 25 kg/m 3.
Compatibility of facades and foam plastic
Depending on the building materials from which the building is built, there are suitable or unsuitable heaters for them. So, for houses made of timber, it is better to use mineral wool.
But for concrete or brick buildings, foam is more effective. Extruded polystyrene foam must be flame retardant treated before use, as it is very, very combustible in its usual form.
Installation technologies
Today there are many companies that produce the insulation itself and all related materials for installation. Ceresit products have proven themselves well. It is good because all the work is done by hand. The process includes several steps.
Preparation
The entire surface of the wall must be prepared. So, all debris, any protruding elements are removed. The surface is cleaned of everything that crumbles. Also, the preparatory phase includes repairing the seams between the bricks.
If there are cracks in the concrete wall, they need to be repaired. The base must be impregnated with Aquastop. For maximum effect, the entire working part is treated with deep penetration primers.
Installation of hangers
The wall should be as flat as possible. ATIn this case, it will be possible to firmly and securely fix the panels for the facade and at the same time get a surface ready for any further processing. The entire wall is hung with special cords to reveal irregularities and immediately eliminate them.
Panel gluing
In this case, Ceresit glue is used for mounting the plates.
But other materials can be used. This glue has one important feature. The mass must be applied immediately after preparation. After an hour, the glue will simply dry out and will be unusable. The adhesive mixture is applied over the entire area of the sheet or in five places, distributing the adhesive over the maximum area.
Sheets for work are best chosen with a rough surface. In the case of a smooth coating, it (roughness) is achieved manually. In the process of gluing, each sheet is leveled.
Knitting process
The panels in each row are staggered. For example, even rows start with a panel cut in half. If the sheets do not coincide with each other and gaps form, then the foam is poured between the sheets in liquid form. At the same time, polyurethane foam is strictly prohibited.
Mechanical assembly
You can't leave panels on glue. The material can be blown away by strong winds. It can be quite expensive if you know how much facade foam costs. The price, depending on the manufacturer and characteristics, starts from 700 rubles per package and reaches 6,000 rubles. Each sheet is attached withusing dowels. Five dowels are used for each panel. After completing this process, each of the dowels must be treated with glue.
Next, reinforcement is performed, as well as plaster. For the first, fiberglass meshes are used. They will need two types - they use a hard and soft mesh. Soft will go for corners, and hard is used for walls. Next, you can perform decorative plaster or purchase facade foam coated for different materials.
This technology is used almost everywhere. This method of insulation is very effective and helps to significantly reduce energy costs.
