Foam plastic: what is this material, types, applications

Styrofoam is most often used as packaging for household appliances and insulation for walls. It is lightweight and protects fragile objects from shocks, reduces vibration. The material has such properties due to its composition and production technology. Foam plastic is a foamed plastic filled with gas bubbles, which gives a cellular structure. Gas makes up about 98% of the material.

Properties of Styrofoam

This material has such characteristics:

• The low coefficient of thermal conductivity makes foam plastic a good insulator from the cold. Widely used for insulating houses.
• Styrofoam can slightly absorb water, depending on the density.
• Low vapor permeability.
• Long service life - up to 40 years.
• Styrofoam is not destroyed by fungi, but they can form on it.
• Environmentally not safe, if not isolated from the action of the air. When interacting with oxygen, the foam is oxidized and releases toxic substances.

Types of foam plastic

This material is differentiated by the type of production and is divided into 3 classes:

• Unpressed foam plastic. Granules filled with isopentane are glued together at high temperature from 116 to 130 degrees. It is called beaded because you can see the bead-like balls.
• Press foam. After the granules are mixed with a foaming agent at high temperature, the mixture is poured into molds and pressed under pressure. The result is a material that is as strong and does not crumble as an unpressed product.
• Extruded foam. In addition to the foaming component, flame retardant is added to the mass, which slows down combustion. The mixture at high temperature is pressed under pressure through the forming outlet in the extruder.

Each class of material is divided into types according to density, strength and other criteria. Unpressed foam is used to insulate foundations, walls, roofs, underground utilities, etc. Pressed polystyrene foam insulated refrigerators, thermoses, car bodies, wagons, it is used in shipbuilding.

Types of polystyrene foam by composition:

• Polystyrene foam has high thermal insulation. It is not spoiled by moisture, resistant to mold, to action of chemicals.
• Polyurethane foam. Hard foam is used for noise insulation of cars, soft foam is used as a filler in seats, furniture. It is used for dish sponges.
• Polyethylene foam is a translucent material that is laid out as insulation for laying the floor and is used for packing fragile items.
• PVC foam is a rigid material used to insulate pipelines. From the elastic make lifebuoys, floats for fishing, used in shipbuilding.

Foam can be damaged, especially if it is an unpressed material. When such boards are covered with walls from the inside of the room, not plastered, and immediately over it glue wallpaper, then even a sharp corner of furniture can make a dent in the surface. For exterior insulation, the plaster finish creates additional insulation.