Extruded polystyrene foam "TechnoNIKOL": types and advantages

Thermal insulation is an important attribute of every residential building. With its help, optimal living conditions are created. The main element of such a system is thermal insulation material. There are several types of these products on the modern market, differing in the place of use and technical parameters. Therefore, it is so important to choose the right ones for solving certain problems.

Extruded polystyrene foam "Technonikol" is a kind of insulation, which are produced by the company of the same name. It is obtained by extrusion, which involves foaming the polymer and forcing it through special holes. With this effect, the substance becomes porous.

Expanded polystyrene of this brand can be used to insulate facades of both industrial and domestic buildings. The high popularity of thermal insulation is due to several of its advantages:

• High durability. The material is practically not destroyed by moisture and mold. Compression resistance can be considered as another feature. The substance is able to maintain its shape for a long time.
• Ease of installation. The material is fixed to the base with glue or special hardware. This can be done without even having experience with similar products.
• Long service life. Expanded polystyrene retains its original characteristics for many years, which makes it possible to create reliable and high-quality thermal insulation systems.

• Ecological cleanliness. The material does not emit any odors or harmful substances. But still, the substance is artificial, so its safety for human health has not yet been fully studied.
• Wide operating temperature range. The heat insulator can be used in conditions from -75 to + 75 degrees.
• Minimum thermal conductivity indicators.

The only drawback of expanded polystyrene can be considered its low resistance to fire. This material is highly flammable and maintains combustion. These indicators are almost the same as those present in the foam. Also, when burning, the heat insulator releases toxic substances that are harmful to human health.

Expanded polystyrene plates are quite widespread. This product is characterized by several unique indicators:

• Coefficient of thermal conductivity. This value depends on the type of polystyrene foam. On average, it varies in the range of 0.032-0.036 W / mK.
• Water vapor permeability. This indicator is approximately equal to 0.01 mg / m h Pa.
• Density. The value can vary in the range of 26-35 kg / m.
• Moisture absorption. The material does not absorb water well. This coefficient does not exceed 0.2% of the volume that will be immersed in the liquid.

• The elasticity index reaches 17 MPa.
• The strength characteristics are 0.35 MPa (bending).
• To deform the material by 10%, a force of 200 to 400 kPa should be applied during compression.
• The service period is up to 50 years.

They produce expanded polystyrene in the form of slabs that are easy to cut. There are many sizes on the market today. The thermal insulation characteristics of a substance in most cases depend on the thickness. The standard indicators of this parameter are:

• 20 mm;
• 50 mm;
• 100 mm.

The thicker the sheet, the better it retains heat. As for the standard sizes of the plates, there are also several standard values:

• 50x580x1180 mm;
• 1180x580x50 mm;
• 100x580x1180 mm;
• 1200x600x20 mm;
• 2380x600x50 mm.

TechnoNIKOL extruded polystyrene foam is very popular among builders. This has led to the emergence of many varieties of similar products, which differ in different indicators.

Today, among all this diversity, several grades of materials can be distinguished:

• Carbon Prof. The highest quality product "Technoplex XPS" with minimal heat loss indicators. The thermal insulation coefficient is only 0.028 W / mK. One should also highlight the high strength of the material. Often this extrusion product is used in the decoration of walls, roofs or foundations of commercial, warehouse or industrial buildings. Very often, wedge-shaped materials are installed on the roof, allowing you to create the desired level of slope of the slope. This brand is also divided into several varieties with certain distinctive characteristics.
• Carbon Solid. A distinctive feature of this product is a high coefficient of compressive strength, which reaches 500-1000 kPa. Therefore, this material is in demand in the construction of floors, landfills, roads or railways.
• Carbon Sand. One of the simplest products in this group. It is very often used as intermediate thermal insulation layers in the manufacture of sandwich panels, as well as truck bodies.

• Carbon Eco. The products are characterized by unique thermal insulation and strength parameters. The manufacturer adds a certain amount of carbon particles to the material to change the properties. This category of heat insulators includes special drainage varieties. There are many small drainage ditches in their structure. This contributes to better water drainage. They use materials both for arranging drainages and for insulating foundations, roofs and other places.
• Technoplex. Universal material for general use. In most cases, it is recommended for indoor use only. Therefore, this heat insulator is used to insulate floors, walls and partitions.
• Carbon Fas. The products are characterized by a rough surface. This structure improves the adhesion of the material and substrates. Therefore, they are increasingly used for finishing facades, which are then planned to be covered with various types of plasters.

TechnoNIIKOL expanded polystyrene is used very often. Today, several main tasks are solved with its help:

• Wall insulation. Often, the heat insulator is mounted on the outer surfaces of balconies or loggias. Sometimes it can also be found as the main insulation for the facades of small private houses.
• Warming of floors. Such polymeric heat insulators are perfect for laying under laminate and other similar coatings. This allows you to create optimal and comfortable conditions for human movement.

• Insulation of foundations. For such work, it is imperative to design a technological map, where all the basic calculations are carried out.But for such operations, only special types of heat insulators are used that can withstand aggressive environments.
• Thermal insulation of roofs. Polymers are used as intermediate layers, which are then covered with a layer of waterproofing agents. The practicality of using products in this direction is due to the fact that the substance is able to withstand high loads, while maintaining its original properties.
• Road construction. Very often, such materials are used to insulate soils on which the location of runways is planned, etc.

When choosing such products, you should pay attention to several parameters:

1. Specifications. It is important that the material is suitable for the place where it will be applied. For example, if the substance will succumb to heavy loads, then pay attention to the strength. When the level of thermal insulation is important, the heat loss coefficient should be taken into account.
2. Qualitative indicators. Defining them is quite simple. For this, a small piece is simply broken off and the fracture surface is analyzed. When the surface is relatively flat and the small fractions are polyhedral, this indicates a high quality. If the structure is distinguished by the presence of small balls, then expanded polystyrene in its composition is close to polystyrene and is not of high quality.

Particular attention should also be paid to the materials with which it is planned to mount the heat insulator. The polymer is unable to withstand various chemical influences. Therefore, all substances for working with it should not contain such substances:

• bituminous glue;
• ethyl acetate;
• acetone and other organic solvents;
• coal tar.

Extruded polystyrene foam is characterized by high porosity and minimum strength. Its installation is a fairly simple operation that is easy to do with your own hands without experience.

Let's consider the technology of wall decoration in more detail. This process consists of several sequential steps:

• Preparatory operations. Initially, the facade should be processed to obtain a solid foundation. Preparing the walls involves removing dirt, filling gaps and leveling the surface. The last step is not always required. Irregularities can be minimized by using different thicknesses of glue, which will be located on the expanded polystyrene tile. After cleaning, the facades are primed with special solutions. This treatment improves the adhesion between the materials to be joined.

• Fixing the slabs. Initially, you should attach the sheets to the wall and make fastening holes for the dowels through them. In this case, it is important to accurately determine the location of the material along all planes. After that, glue is applied to the slab and applied to the wall. Please note that it is not advisable to use some types of glue right away. Manufacturers recommend waiting a little time for the composition to be absorbed into the polymer structure. The procedure ends with additional fastening of materials using special dowels.
• Finishing. Once the glue is dry, the boards can be finished. In most cases, plaster is used here, but you can also form a substrate for clinker or other types of tiles. All this must be taken into account, depending on the recommendations of a particular manufacturer.

Extruded polystyrene foam is obtained in several successive stages:

1. Initially, suspension polystyrene is mixed with various additives. They are needed in order to change its physical characteristics.Manufacturers often use flame retardants, brighteners and dyes. When the composition is ready, it is loaded into the extruder.
2. At this stage, the raw material is pre-foamed. The structure of the material is saturated with a large amount of air.
3. When the processing is completed, the mass is sintered and shaped. The mixture is then cooled. In most cases, the foam will freeze naturally. At this stage, the composition is also additionally foamed.
4. The procedure ends with the extrusion of the material, its stabilization and final surface treatment. At the very end, the substance is cut into plates and fed to packaging.

Extruded polystyrene foam is a unique heat insulator that allows you to quickly obtain an optimal level of heat insulation at minimal cost.

How to insulate the floor using extruded polystyrene foam, see below.