Extruded polyurethane foam characteristics. What is better for insulation? A couple of reviews about eps

1. All main PU foam systems are difficult to combustible materials, i.e. they are resistant to open flames and thermal radiation: flammability group G2, G3 according to GOST 12.1.044-89.PPU is the same moderately flammable material as all the others, but, unlike expanded polystyrene, PPU contains a fire retardant, which prevents the flame from spreading and makes PPU a self-extinguishing material.Modern “A” components contain effective flame retardants, which make polyurethane foam self-extinguishing, i.e., non-burning outside the flame of an external fire source.
2. Why do I need resistance to humidity when living in St. Petersburg? Your remark would be appropriate for dry Rostov.Of all the tested materials, polyurethane foam in the table (attached) is the least hygroscopic. Moreover, the higher the density of polyurethane foam, the lower its hygroscopicity.
3. Regarding flammability: inGenerally speaking, all objects made of plastic emit harmful substances to some extent. It’s no secret that even the Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision standards establish a minimum amount harmful substances which is considered safe for health. For example, the familiar smell of a new car is caused by harmful volatile chemical compounds that evaporate from plastic parts over time.
4. Inexpensive furniture emits toxic formaldehyde, since chipboard contains a large amount of it. OSB boards, which are used for wall cladding in frame housing construction, even more toxic, because they contain more formaldehyde.
5. Among insulation materials, mineral wool is the leader in environmental friendliness, since it itself does not emit volatile chemicals. But it releases the same formaldehyde contained in the adhesive base, which allows the fibers to retain their shape for some time. In addition, mineral wool is an allergen. Therefore, it is prohibited for use in children's and preschool institutions.
As for polyurethane foam, the fact of the release of volatile chemical substances actually happened before. It happened that the characteristic odor remained in the room after spraying polyurethane foam for several weeks. The reason for this is component “A”, which has already been discontinued.
The technology for manufacturing domestic PU foam components until 2003 involved the use of highly volatile ether fractions. Currently this technology is not used. Modern components do not have this drawback and when checked three days after applying polyurethane foam, no harmful substances are detected in the room. Within two to three days, depending on the thickness of the layer, the polyurethane foam is freed from a small amount of residual reaction gases and is then completely environmentally safe.
6. I don't know how to prove an obvious fact to you light weight. But this is true: weight - 40-60 kg per m3.
7. What can I do, I won’t prove anything to you here.
8. And regarding editing, what exactly do you call your favorite word “nonsense”?

0. What you stubbornly remain silent about is the price. PPP is cheaper.
1. The panels use only self-extinguishing PPS - this is the standard.
2. I don’t understand. I'm not attached to geography at all. This could be Amsterdam or an Antarctic station.
3. Yes.
4. They are also quite radioactive... Please do not repeat the mantras of all sorts of raw foodists and environmentalists. America is built from OSB. We only use Europe, which is no worse.
5. We don’t use either of these in panels, although we tried polyurethane foam and didn’t like it.
6. But no way. It is several times heavier than PPS and this is enough to make operations with panels, and even more so with pre-assembled segments, extremely labor-intensive and back-breaking.
7. Did I ask?
9. See point 6.

Often on various construction forums you can find topics such as “SIP panels with PPU or PPS”, or “what better polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam”, as an option “Comparison of thermal panels made of polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam”. Let's try to show it with numbers.

teaching staff— expanded polystyrene (foam plastic) is the most “popular” insulation of SIP panels, because inexpensive. Plus, the technology for manufacturing panels with such insulation is not technologically complex - foam plastic is glued to OSB.

PPU- polyurethane foam - a more expensive and high-quality insulation for SIP panels. To produce panels with such insulation, you need equipment, a technical process, temperature conditions, holding time of the panel in the machine, etc.

The main differences between insulation materials in numbers:

As a result, polyurethane foam lasts longer, is warmer, has a wider temperature range of use....

Plus, polyurethane foam is less hygroscopic (absorbs less water); fire retardants are added to polyurethane foam, which allows it not to support combustion (i.e., it burns only when exposed to an open flame).

Yes, it's more expensive. But on the scale of the house and the planned period of its operation (tens of years), the difference in cost is not significant.

Next, we will briefly talk about the most common myths about PPU:

1. PPU is dangerous to health. Is it so?

We live in the age of polymer and composite materials, which is also PPU. Of course, each material is certified for health safety. There are SanPiN standards for permissible emissions from materials that are safe for health. Polyurethane foam used for thermal insulation of buildings and structures is no exception. PPU has all the necessary certificates, has approvals for the construction of even kindergartens and hospitals, is not an allergen (unlike mineral wool insulation) and does not accumulate moisture, which creates a good environment for pathogens. In addition, the peculiarity of polyurethane foam at the chemical level is that component A is inherently a more than safe oil, and component B, which for some reason may be residual, is completely neutralized by air moisture in a short period of time. As an illustration, we can cite hives made of polyurethane foam, which are so popular among bees all over the world. And bees are so capricious of their ecosystem that they cannot even live near power lines or cell phone stations.

2. PPU is a fire hazardous material. Is it so?

In general, materials such as metal (and not all alloys), stone, glass, expanded clay, basalt, etc. can be classified as non-flammable. Everything else burns one way or another. All materials are wood or polymer based are flammable and are divided into groups of varying degrees of flammability.

Polyurethane foam is good because, depending on its composition, it can belong to all four flammability groups. And the choice depends directly on the scope of application and the wishes of the Customer. For example, polyurethane foam with flammability groups G1 and G2 can be used as insulation in residential and industrial facilities with open access to insulation (roofs, facades, plinths, etc.). While the use of polyurethane foam with flammability groups G3 and G4 is justified for refrigeration units, when concluding polyurethane foam between other non-flammable building structures etc.

3. PU foam absorbs water like a sponge. Is it so?

Water is the number one enemy of any insulation. When insulation with low thermal conductivity absorbs water with a high thermal conductivity, it begins to lose thermal insulation properties, that is, it ceases to be an insulation material. In addition, damp insulation is an excellent environment for the development of mold and pathogenic bacteria.

The table shows a comparison of the hygroscopicity of insulation:

As can be seen from the table, polyurethane foam has better resistance to moisture absorption.

4. Polyurethane foam is short-lived, afraid of the sun, and falls off. Is it so?

Polymer materials really don't like direct sun rays. PPU is no exception. This process is called aging or UV degradation. What can I say, even wood dries, darkens and slowly decomposes without special protection from atmospheric influences. There are means of protection for polyurethane foam.

Elementary painting of the surface of the polyurethane foam or the application of mastic will allow the polyurethane foam to serve faithfully for over 30 years, even on an open facade. If the PPU is hidden under façade design(siding, clapboard or porcelain stoneware), then you don’t have to worry about its safety even without additional funds protection. By the way, PPU is not a “Snow Maiden” that melts in the sun. Only the upper layers of polyurethane foam are subject to destruction, no more than 1 mm per year (depending on conditions). This layer will darken and be prone to crumbling. But the inner layers will retain their structure and properties. During installation, these processes can generally be neglected.

5. PPU is an expensive material. Is it so?

Indeed, the cost of 1 m 3 of polyurethane foam is more expensive than most other traditional insulation materials. But everything is not so obvious. After all, for some reason we also don’t buy the cheapest things and don’t drive the cheapest cars.

PU foam does not require membranes. For correct installation Mineral wool insulation requires moisture and windproof membranes to extend their service life and reduce the risk of getting wet. These membranes also require fastening and are an additional item in the contract estimate. In addition, membranes are very difficult to install hermetically and ensure their effective operation.

The equivalent layer of thermal insulation may vary greatly. For example, 50 mm of polyurethane foam is equivalent to 100 mm of mineral wool or 80 mm of polystyrene balls. That is, to achieve a similar thermal insulation effect, you need 2 times less volume of polyurethane foam compared to mineral wool.

Not only that, the service life of polyurethane foam is comparable to the service life of load-bearing structures, which is disproportionately longer than its main competitors. It is also necessary to take into account changes in efficiency over time, which is associated with the loss of the original properties of the insulation. Thus, for mineral wool insulation, the loss of thermal insulation properties ranges from 3 to 8% per year, depending on operating conditions and type of material. This means that after 5 years, heat loss and heating costs will increase by 15-40%. At the same time, a study of buildings of the 60-80s in Europe and Japan using polyurethane foam allows us to say that over 25-30 years, changes in the initial physical, mechanical and thermal properties do not exceed 5-7%. At the same time, science has made great strides forward and the recipes are now more advanced.

Conclusions:

Of course, we have not listed all the negative opinions and not all the arguments in favor. But, I hope, we were able to make it clear that many fears are associated with ignorance or unsubstantiated rumors.

Expanded polystyrene and polyurethane foam can perform different functions. And first of all, these materials are known as widely used insulation materials. Let's make some comparisons and find out how polystyrene foam differs from polyurethane foam.

General information

Expanded polystyrene in everyday life it is often called polystyrene foam. It is available regular and extruded. The latter has best qualities due to increased density.

Expanded polystyrene

Polyurethane foam- this is the same foam rubber. It also has varieties. Usually used for domestic purposes soft material of the specified type, and in construction – hard.

Comparison

Each of the materials mentioned has its own properties. First, let's touch on the most significant characteristic - thermal conductivity. In this regard, the advantage of polyurethane foam is noted. Moreover, it is important that it is produced not only in the form of panels, but also as an aerosol product that is sprayed onto objects. If polyurethane foam is used in this way, a monolithic coating is obtained that exactly follows the topography of the base.

Expanded polystyrene does not require such an effective application method. It is mounted to the surface in the form of solid slabs. The gaps between them cause heat leakage and deterioration of sound insulation. The difference between polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam is that it does not interact well with adhesives and plaster compositions. Meanwhile, polyurethane foam can be firmly fixed to the surface. In addition, this material absorbs moisture less, which has a positive effect on heat conservation.

It is worth noting that polystyrene foam begins to disintegrate and release hazardous substances at a lower temperature - approximately sixty degrees Celsius. Therefore, it is not recommended to insulate the roof with it, especially in the southern regions with scorching sun. As for the fire safety indicator, the materials discussed themselves do not burn for a long time. But if there is permanent source fire, then polystyrene foam quickly becomes engulfed in flames. The process is accompanied by the separation of melting fragments and saturation of air big amount toxins. The second material burns worse.

What is the difference between polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam regarding their service life? Here the second type of product wins again. Polyurethane foam retains its useful qualities much longer. This is partly due to the fact that it is not subject to deformation. Expanded polystyrene is compressed over time, and its thermal insulation properties noticeably deteriorate. As a result, polyurethane foam is the leader in all respects. It is not surprising that the price is higher.

Thermal insulation of a house is necessary measure in our climate.

Insulating your home allows you to not only retain heat in winter, but also keep it out in summer. Few people know that modern thermal insulation materials work in both directions: in winter they protect against heat loss, and in summer they prevent it from entering the house. Based on this, we can conclude: if the house is equipped with good thermal insulation, then it will be warm in winter and cool in summer. But these are not all the functions that insulation performs: it is also capable of protecting outer wall at home from cracking low temperatures Oh.

Thermal insulation of the house has now been received wide use, and that is why there is a huge selection of insulation materials on the market, but the most popular of them can rightfully be considered polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam. These materials have become so widespread due to their low price and ease of use. - a fairly simple and not very long construction project. If you know how to hold tools in your hand correctly, then insulating your house with this material will not be difficult for you. special labor. Polyurethane foam, like polystyrene foam, is just as easy to use, and its installation will not take you much time and effort. To understand which of these two materials is better for insulating your home, you need to compare them.

Application area

Expanded polystyrene, or polystyrene foam, is used in various fields activities: from electronics packaging to individual construction. Styrofoam, like construction material, has become widespread for all types of thermal insulation work:

• it is used for roof insulation. The simplicity and ease of its installation makes it possible to carry out work in any weather conditions. In addition, expanded polystyrene is used for the reconstruction of flat roofs;
• Expanded polystyrene slabs are used for floor insulation in houses; at the same time, this is not only good thermal insulation, but also waterproofing;
• polystyrene foam is used as insulation for heated floors, which significantly reduces costs;
• This material can be used to insulate the walls of buildings, both outside and inside; it can be used to insulate loggias and balconies;
• expanded polystyrene has become widespread not only for internal insulation at home: it is used for thermal insulation of the foundations of buildings and pipelines.

But not only polystyrene foam has become so widespread in construction; along with it, polyurethane foam is also in great demand. It is easy to use, and its main feature is that this thermal insulation material is presented not in the form of slabs and rolls, as usual, but in the form of a special composition that is sprayed onto the surface. This feature makes polyurethane foam a universal insulation material, which has led to its widespread use in construction, where polyurethane foam is used in various directions:

• due to the chemical resistance of this material, it is well suited for thermal insulation of containers, such as swimming pools;
• polyurethane foam is excellent for because it has a high reaction rate, which avoids foam dripping;
• the adhesive properties of this material make it possible to widely use polyurethane foam for insulating the foundations of buildings;
• it is used for thermal insulation of the roof;
• this material is excellent for insulating the walls of buildings, both outside and inside.

The areas and polyurethane foam are similar in many ways, but they are still two different materials, having different properties.

Comparison of polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam

To understand which of these two materials is better, let’s compare them according to a number of important indicators in the form of a table.

Comparison result

The table shows that polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam have both pros and cons, but, of course, polystyrene foam has the most disadvantages. Lifetime of this material does not exceed 15 years. It is actively destroyed when exposed to environment. PPS boards are often damaged by rodents. Due to the fact that this material is a hydrocarbon polymer, adhesives and plaster solutions. But the most important thing is that polystyrene foam is an unsafe material: it burns, scattering different sides burning fragments, while releasing toxic substances. All this indicates the unreliability of polystyrene foam for thermal insulation of a house.

Unlike foam plastic, it is reliable and in a modern way insulation. This material is light and does not load the structure, but at the same time it is very durable. Polyurethane foam has low thermal conductivity and vapor permeability.

Roof insulation is a process that automatically translates attic space from non-residential to residential. At the same time, the housing area increases almost by the size of a full floor, and such an increase should not be neglected. Insulation mansard roof will help you create another living space without much effort.

It is worth mentioning other good reasons for insulating the roof - for example, eliminating its heating in winter time, which eliminates the formation of ice, icicles, and, on warmer days, snow falling off the roof. Thus, the procedure is necessary and useful. Details about self-insulation roofs you can read in this article.

One of the most effective insulation materials deservedly considered polyurethane foam (PPU).

Let's look at roof insulation with polyurethane in more detail.

Polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam - what are the differences?

First of all, this is - two different materials, what is it in chemical composition, and by mechanical properties. If you compare polyurethane foam with polystyrene foam, the most striking difference will be hardness.

Styrofoam(expanded polystyrene) practically lacks flexibility, at the slightest bend it can break, while PPU allows practically any deformations without losing the integrity of the structure.

Moreover, polyurethane foam has elasticity, the ability to take its previous shape after stress is removed. Such a difference in mechanical characteristics with more or less similar heat-conducting, noise-absorbing and other parameters puts the use of these two materials at different levels.

Polystyrene foam is cheaper, it can be used in places where there are no physical activity he will not experience. In addition, a certain rigidity of the foam in some cases is an advantage that greatly simplifies the installation process.

PPU is a material that has several types, different densities, which creates many subspecies that have different characteristics. All varieties have one main advantage in common - practically completely resistant to water, which is the most significant advantage for insulation.

Types of polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam is a type of plastic made from two main components. The reaction of these components creates a material whose properties can change at different ratios of the starting substances. Distinguish soft varieties PPU, density 5-40 kg/m 3, and hard varieties— 35-80 kg/m 3

The variety of types has led to the widespread use of the material, from furniture (the well-known foam rubber) to insulation in construction. One of the most useful properties, actively used in industry, is Possibility of spraying material directly at the point of use, bypassing the stages of manufacturing, storage, transportation, installation, fitting, etc.

This property distinguishes polyurethane foam very favorably as an insulation material, which is applied directly to the surface to be treated with virtually no preparatory operations, forming a highly effective heat retaining layer, does not react to moisture, does not change its qualities over time, does not interact with biological organisms and non-swelling.

Alternative types of roof insulation

In addition to PPU, the following are used:

• Styrofoam.
• Minvata.
• Glass wool.
• Ecowool.
• Izover.
• Expanded clay.
• Cellulose, etc.

The list of all types of insulation suitable for use on the roof is quite large, but only a few types are used - mineral wool, isover, ecowool and some others. The reasons for this are prices and unsatisfactory characteristics of a number of materials.

For example, ability to absorb water for insulation unacceptable, since this causes all heat-conducting qualities to disappear. Glass wool, for example, has such problems. In addition, a number of materials are susceptible to caking, which changes the layer thickness and reduces performance.

Note!

Of the above, basalt is the most preferable mineral wool as the most efficient material by all indicators. But you can’t work with it without creating protective layers hydro- and vapor barriers, the so-called roofing pie, without which the material gradually loses its properties. We recommend that you read the article on the topic “do-it-yourself roof insulation with mineral wool.”

In general, reliable insulation from water vapor or splashes allows you to use any insulation; if the choice is small, you just need to know its strengths and weak sides and take them into account during installation.

Do-it-yourself roof insulation with polyurethane foam

Let's consider the process of insulation with liquid polyurethane foam, as an almost ideal option for today. The insulation technology is quite simple, but has many nuances, which we discussed in this article.

Available for sale special kits for spraying polyurethane foam, consisting of two containers with initial reagents, which are mixed directly during the spraying process in the working head.

The reaction occurs quite quickly and cannot be mixed in any other way.

Surface preparation is simple and does not require any complex operations. You just need to clean it of debris, dust and dry it if necessary. There is no need to pre-cut off the insulation with waterproofing membranes, since the surface of the material itself excellent insulator, not sensitive to water vapor or splashes.

Insulation polyurethane foam roofing is produced from the inside, and polyurethane foam is applied in spaces between rafters. During the reaction, the material expands, gas bubbles appear in it, giving the necessary thermal insulation ability. At the same time, expanding, polyurethane foam densely fills the entire space, clogs all potholes and cavities, creating a sealed layer.

This material reliably insures the surface against the presence bridges of cold which cause condensation to form. The entire treated area will be dry, which will protect roofing material and rafters from corrosion and rotting.

After complete spraying of polyurethane foam and its hardening, all that remains is sheathe the entire treated area sheet materials- plywood, chipboard or the like, and carry out cosmetic finishing of the room.

Semi-professional set for spraying polyurethane foam

PPU should be sprayed between the rafters, carefully sealing all cracks and voids

Self-spraying of polyurethane foam

Advantages and disadvantages of polyurethane foam

The advantages of PPU are:

• Non-flammability.
• No reaction to water vapor, splashes, practically does not absorb water.
• Excellent adhesion to any materials. (exceptions - polyethylene and fluoroplastic, wet surfaces).
• Excellent thermal conductivity, low response to temperature changes, lack of temperature changes in properties.
• Elastic structure, eliminating the appearance of cracks due to shrinkage and other deformations of the substrate.
• Complete cut-off of the treated surface during application.
• No insects, rodents, birds.
• Doesn't rot, does not react with contacting elements.
• Durable, manufacturers say service life of 30 years, but in practice PPU works longer.

At the same time, there are also disadvantages. These include:

• High price.
• High technology application, the need to use special equipment.
• The applied layer must exceed 5 cm, a smaller thickness will not ensure effective operation.

Carefully!

Fears ultraviolet radiation, which does not allow it to be used in open form. The rate of destruction of polyurethane foam from sunlight is approximately 1 mm per year. At the same time, complete destruction does not happen; the process does not go deeper into the material. The problem can be eliminated by painting or decorative fencing PPU from direct sunlight.

All the advantages of the material have been repeatedly tested and confirmed in practice, and the disadvantages are quite easily eliminated. The high cost of polyurethane foam as a material is compensated by its self-sufficiency, which allows you to significantly save on the purchase of a double layer of waterproof membrane.

Non-flammability is achieved by adding halogens to the initial components, which allows polyurethane foam to be classified as a fast-damping material. If there is no open flame, polyurethane foam cannot ignite in any way, so it can be considered completely safe in this regard.

As a result, we can conclude that roof insulation with polyurethane is not only effectively, but also profitable.

A truly indisputable fact is the need to use a spraying installation, although it is difficult to say whether this is a drawback or simply a feature of the application.

If you are planning to insulate pitched roof, be sure to read the article at the link.

If you involve specialists who will work with professional installations, then there will be no need to purchase disposable kits. At the same time, the quality of the coating will be maximum, and you can also avoid mistakes caused by lack of experience.

Useful video

Conclusion

Polyurethane foam is the most effective and high-quality insulation, leading in all respects among other materials. The use of such a coating is the most good choice for the roof of a private house, reliably protecting the attic space from cold and noise, guaranteeing long-term service and not losing properties over time. Any Alternative option inferior in quality, confirming the leading position of polyurethane foam as an insulation material.