There are many applications of polyurethane insulation panels, including building walls, cold storage and mobile panel houses, etc.
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There is a long-standing debate over whether expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polyurethane (PUR) panel is better for insulation. This is a complex debate that requires knowledge about several different factors.
EPS is a rigid closed-cell plastic foam that is comprised of hollow, spherical beads that are fused together using steam. Since EPS is 98% air, it is chemically inert.
Polyurethane is “… a foam insulation material that contains a low-conductivity gas in its cells.” It is “… formed by reacting a polyol (an alcohol with more than two reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule) with a diisocyanate or a polymeric isocyanate in the presence of suitable catalysts and additives.”
Polyurethane has one of the highest initial (at the time of installation) R-values per inch in the industry; higher than EPS in equivalent thicknesses. However, EPS insulation will maintain its initial R-value long after it is first installed.
Polyurethane uses the thermal resistance of its blowing agent to attain higher initial R-values. However, it loses its R-value over time due to thermal drift. According to the Building Science Corporation, thermal drift is, “The loss of R-value over time in foam that contains captive blowing agents. Air enters the cells of the foam, diluting or replacing the lower-conductivity blowing agent…”
The most thermal drift of polyurethane occurs during the first two years. Oak Ridge National Laboratory chose to study the effect of thermal drift on “aged” R-value, or long-term thermal resistance, after a five-year period. They found that in as short as 2-5 years, the thermal resistance of EPS and polyurethane insulation panels will be nearly equivalent.
Polyurethane insulation panels are more expensive than EPS foam panels. This cost is due to an initial higher R-value. However, as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory study shows, this R-value degrades over time due to thermal drift. And, at the end of five years, the long-term thermal resistance is similar.
TOPOLO polyurethane insulation panels have been independently tested and received a one-hour fire-resistance rating. Although EPS insulation is considered combustible, this does not mean that it will burst into flame. It simply means that it behaves similarly to other materials such as wood or paper. Fire codes usually require a fire barrier on the interior face of any wall (no matter the insulation type), which is easily met by using a gypsum wallboard.