Polystyrene Thermal Insulation
Expanded polystyrene or EPS is a closed cell, resilient, lightweight, rigid cellular plastics material produced in a range of densities between 10kg/m3 and 35kg/m3. One of the main applications for products manufactured from EPS are thermal insulation systems such as pipe insulation. Expanded polystyrene is supplied as plastic beads in which an expanding agent, usually pentane, has been dissolve. In the presence of steam the thermoplastic polystyrene softens and the increasing vapour pressure of the expanding agent causes the beads to expand up to 50 times their original volume. During this stage the degree of expansion is controlled to achieve the desired density. Expanded polystyrene does not contain any ozone depleting substance and none is used in its manufacture. From...