32
MATErIALS
Materials focus on insulation,
energy, emissions and quality
The latest releases of
new materials from
European chemical
companies aim to
improve insulation,
energy efficiency and
finish, while reducing
the amount of solvents
involved during
manufacture. Sean
Ottewell investigates.
Les toutes dernières
émissions de nouveaux
matériaux en provenance
de sociétés chimiques
européennes visent à
améliorer l’isolation, le
rendement énergétique
et la finition tout en
réduisant la quantité de
solvants utilisés. Enquête
de Sean Ottewell.
Die neuesten
Materialeinführungen
europäischer
n 13th March, BASF started up Fig. 1. Neopor contains special graphite
Chemieunternehmen
a new plant at its Ludwigshafen
streben an, Isolierung, site in Germany to manufacture
Energieeffizienz und O
particles that reflect thermal radiation like a
mirror, so reducing heat losses in houses.
the expandable polysturene (EPS)
Aussehen zu verbessern,
insulation material Neopor. The plant has a the panel properties, for example compression
während die Menge an
production capacity of 90 000t/y and uses a resistance.
Lösungsmitteln reduziert
new extrusion-based process. Insulating materials made of Neopor
wird, die zu ihrer
Herstellung erforderlich
The grey Neopor is the refinement of the are instrumental in lowering the energy
ist. Sean Ottewell
classic insulating material Styropor. It contains consumption of poorly insulated old buildings.
berichtet.
special graphite particles that reflect thermal For example, according to BASF an old multi-
radiation like a mirror, so reducing heat losses family residential building uses 21 litres of
in houses (Fig. 1). heating oil per square metre per year for
Customers foam the Neopor granules heating energy. If it is insulated so that it then
themselves and process them into insulating needs only five litres, the residents of an
panels and moulded parts that are then used 80 sq m apartment in this building will save
to insulate exterior walls, roofs and floors. some 1280 litres of heating oil per year and
Insulating materials made of Neopor not reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about
only meet the standards for passive house 4090kg. The energy needed to produce Neopor
construction but they also save at least 30 per for this insulation – about 1000 litres of heating
cent of the energy needed to cool residential oil per 80 sq m of living space – is recouped
buildings in warm climates, says BASF. after the first heating season.
In contrast to the suspension method “Even though the global financial crisis has
employed so far, the extrusion process of the also had a negative impact on the construction
new plant will yield more uniformly sized sector, the worldwide demand for energy-
granules and will permit a targeted setting of efficient products will continue to grow,
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