Is expanded polystyrene breathable?
Breathability and Moisture Resistance. Expanded polystyrene boards are lightweight, highly resistant to moisture (but not fully water impregnable like extruded polystyrene), durable and are expected to remain effective for many years.
What are the properties of expanded polystyrene?
Properties of EPS
- Light Weight. EPS is an extremely lightweight material which is not surprising considering it is comprised of ~98% air.
- Durability.
- Moisture Resistance.
- Thermal Efficiency.
- Shock Absorption.
- Versatility.
- Ease of Use.
What is expanded polystyrene insulation used for?
What is EPS? Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid cellular plastic, which is found in a multitude of shapes and applications. It is used for fish boxes, packaging for electrical consumer goods and for insulation panels for building.
What type of insulation is expanded polystyrene?
Expanded Polystyrene Insulation, more commonly referred to as EPS, is a closed cell insulation that has been around since the 1950’s. EPS is made of 98% trapped air and only 2% plastic, making it an efficient insulator with a small amount of raw material.
Is Expanded polystyrene a vapor barrier?
A: No, although EPS has a low water vapor transmission rate, EPS is not a vapor barrier. Rather it “breathes”, and therefore does not require costly venting as do other insulation materials, which would otherwise trap moisture within walls and roof assemblies.
Is polystyrene insulation water resistant?
Foam board insulation doesn’t absorb water, which essentially limits the amount of moisture build-up in your insulation. Polyiso and extruded polystyrene foam boards have the strongest waterproof properties.
Does polystyrene have insulation properties?
In its expanded form, polystyrene has low thermal conductivity which makes it a great insulator. Polystyrene foam contains a lot of small pockets of air within its structure, and this is an important key to its insulating properties.
What is the difference between polystyrene and expanded polystyrene?
The main difference between these two materials lies in their density. Extruded polystyrene is much denser than expanded polystyrene (2.18 lbs. on average for XPS vs. 0.93 lbs.
Does expanded polystyrene absorb water?
A: EPS is non-hygroscopic and does not readily absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Its closed-cell structure reduces the absorption and/or migration of moisture into the insulation material.
What is XPS and EPS?
XPS is manufactured in a continuous extrusion process that produces a closed cell form of foam insulation. EPS, on the other hand, is manufactured by expanding spherical beads in a mold and then using heat and pressure to fuse the beads together. Each product has proponents claiming one out performs the other.
Is polystyrene an air barrier?
Does Styrofoam insulation need vapour barrier?
Foam boards are typically considered a form of vapor barrier (especially with the foil face) by default. So, as long as you have a tight seal, you shouldn’t need any other barrier.
What are the thermal insulation properties of expanded polystyrene?
Thermal insulation properties of expanded polystyrene as construction and insulating materials. In a closed cell, the polymeric membrane forming in the walls of the cells forms a barrier that prevents the passage of gases and liquids, although the gas can pass through the membrane by the slow diffusion process.
What is EPS (Expanded polystyrene)?
What is Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)? Expanded PolyStyrene (EPS) is a white foam plastic material produced from solid beads of polystyrene. It is primarily used for packaging, insulation etc. It is a closed cell, rigid foam material produced from: Styrene – which forms the cellular structure.
Is polystyrene a good conductor of heat?
This air trapped within the cells is a very poor heat conductor and hence provide the foam with its excellent thermal insulation properties. The thermal conductivity of expanded polystyrene foam of density 20 kg/m 3 is 0.035 – 0.037 W/ (m·K) at 10 °C.
What are the benefits of EPS insulation?
EPS is a lightweight material with good insulation characteristics offering benefits such as: Thermal Properties (insulation) – EPS has very low thermal conductivity due to its closed cell structure consisting of 98% air.