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DETAIL Practice Insulating Materials Principles NW Fe\KeYa Felis Applications Margit Pfundstein Roland Gellert Martin H. Spitzner Alexander Rudolphi Edition Detail Detail Practice Insulating Materials contains a comprehensive catalogue of insulating materials for the building industry. Explanations of individual insulation types provide information on their raw materials, typical proper- ties, fields of application and forms of supply. Tables with physical proper- ties and details of reaction to fire plus advice on environmental compatibi- lity and possible health hazards give the reader a useful comparison of the insulating materials available. An overview of European and German statutory instruments and insulating material standards plus clarification of product labelling and certification represent useful aids for planning and tendering. Criteria for design and applications help users choose the right insulating material and a detailed consideration of the ecological impacts of each reveals substantial optimi- sation potential for their sustainable deployment. Catalogue of insulating materials Numerous tables with properties and standards Pictograms for the application profiles of the individual insulating materials Fields of application and forms of construction, elimination of thermal bridges (flat and pitched roofs, walls, floors, basements) The latest data for life cycle assessments of insulating materials Authors: Margit Pfundstein, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Roland Gellert, Dr. rer. nat., FIW Munich Martin H. Spitzner, Dr.-Ing., FIW Munich Alexander Rudolphi, Prof.-Ing., GFOB Berlin Project manager: Nicola Kollmann, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Editor: Christina Schulz, Dipl.-Ing. architect Institut fur internationale : Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG, Munich Birkhauser Basel - Boston - Berlin DETAIL Practice Insulating Materials Principles Materials Applications Margit Pfundstein Roland Gellert Martin H. Spitzner Alexander Rudolphi Birkhauser Edition Detail Authors: Margit Pfundstein, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Roland Gellert, Dr. rer. nat. Martin H. Spitzner, Dr.-Ing. Christoph Sprengard Wolfgang Albrecht Alexander Rudolphi, Prof.-lng. Project manager: Nicola Kollmann, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Editor: Christina Schulz, Dipl.-Ing. architect Drawings: Nicola Koilmann, Daniel Hajduk Translators (GermarvEnglish): Gerd H. Séffker, Philip Thrift, Hannover © 2007 Institut fir internationale _ Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG, Munich An Edition DETAIL book =~ ISBN: 978-3-7643-8654-2 Printed on acid-free paper made from cellulose bleached without the use of chlorine. This work is subject to copyright. All rights reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the right of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in other ways, and storage in databases. For any kind of use, permission of the copyright owner must be obtained. Typesetting & production: Peter Gensmantel, Cornelia Kohn, Andrea Linke, Roswitha Siegler, Simone Soesters Printed by: Aumutller Druck, Regensburg 1st edition, 2008 This book is also available in a German language edition (ISBN 978-3-920034-18-8). A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress, Washington D.C., USA. Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data is available on the internet at htto://[Link]. Institut fur internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG SonnenstraBe 17, D-80331 Muinchen Telefon: +49/89/38 16 20-0 Telefax: +49/89/39 86 70 [Link] Distribution Partner: Birkhauser — Publishers for Architecture PO Box 133, 4010 Basel, Switzerland Tel.: +41 61 2050707 Fax: +41 61 2050792 e-mail: sales@[Link] www. [Link] Lf 21 34 55 59 60 63 66 “1 13 74 77 79 82 84 85 88 89 91 93 93 100 103 105 107 107 108 109 Ti DETAIL Practice Insulating Materials Margit Pfundstein Roland Gellert Martin H. Spitzner Alexander Rudolphi Contents Introduction Properties of insulating materials Types of insulating material Classification Inorganic insulating materials Organic insulating materials New developments Statutory instruments and insulating material standards Construction Products Directive (CPD) and Construction Products Act Construction legislation instruments European standards and approvals for thermal insulating materials National codes of practice and technical approvals Attestation of conformity Identification and labelling Consumer protection, quality control and voluntary product certification Applications for insulating materials Fields of application Insulation in floors and roofs Insulation in walls External basement insulation Avoiding thermal bridges Air as an insulator Insulating materials and thermal performance in summer Insulating materials in other climate zones insulating materials from the ecological viewpoint Sustainability — definition and assessment Ecological dimension Social dimension Economic dimension Sustainable use of insulating materials Appendix Trade associations Directory of manufacturers and suppliers Bibliography Index Picture credits Introduction Margit Pfundstein Insulating materials play a major role in energy-efficient building measures. Thanks to their heat-insulating effect, they save heating and cooling energy and hence contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The importance of insulating materials has continued to grow in recent decades, and, subsequently, the range of insulating materials on offer with their different appli- cations and properties profiles. Accordingly, many questions arise when insulating materials are to be used in buildings: Which standards apply? Are there special requirements for installation or use? Which raw materials do they con- tain? How are the insulating materials pro- duced and what are their characteristic properties? What should be done with waste and offcuts? This book attempts to answer these ques- tions with a systematic presentation so that suitable insulating materials can be selected to suit the respective require- ments. The varying selection criteria result from the applications themselves, but also from the multitude of different properties of the insulating materials, specific to par- ticular products or particular applications. This book reviews conventional and also less conventional insulating materials for buildings plus new developments. As a direct price comparison has only limited validity owing to the different processing and installation costs plus the construc- tional boundary conditions, and prices are subject to local and market econom- ics fluctuations anyway, this book does not attempt to deal with this issue. Depending on raw materials and methods of production, the insulating materials exhibit characteristic properties that in some cases are not relevant for other materials, which means that a direct com- parison is impossible in many instances. Nevertheless, in order to guarantee a defined quality for users and to comply with construction legislation, thermal insu- lation materials for buildings are covered by standards or national technical appro- vals. The construction legislation aspects regarding the Construction Products List, insulating materials standards, approvals, etc. are explained in a separate chapter. This book also describes the requirements placed on insulating materials resulting from the various applications, and takes into account special cases such as ther- mal bridges, summertime thermal perform- ance and applications in other climate zones. Apart from the functional issues, the use of thermal insulation and the choice of the respective insulating material is affected by ecological aspects. Questions regard- ing the consumption of resources, the energy content, the availability and the environmental compatibility during the production, use and disposal of insulating materials are discussed in the final chapter. The appendix contains references to asso- ciations, institutes, manufacturers and suggestions for further reading plus an index to help readers access the informa- tion in this book quickly. Properties of insulating materials Margit Pfundstein A low thermal conductivity is without doubt the most important property of any ther- mal insulating material. However, additional criteria such as compressive strength or reaction to fire can also be critical when . choosing an insulating material, depend- ing on the particular application. The insulating materials available these days cover almost all requirements in the most diverse areas. But there is no insu- lating material that fulfils all - including ecological — requirements perfectly, even among the more expensive products. As arule, certain criteria, e.g. high compres- sive strength and good impact sound insu- lation properties, or low diffusion resist- ance and moisture resistance, cancel each other out. The following sections provide an over- view of the most important characteristic properties of insulating materials, their definitions and the associated data of rel- evant insulating materials in a number of tables. Besides density, any assessment of an insulating material must consider. the material’s behaviour when exposed to heat, water and moisture, the mechanical and acoustic properties, and its reaction to fire. The ecological aspects of insulating materials are dealt with in a separate chapter (pp. 93-105), Density Density is defined as the quotient of the mass of a material and the volume occu- pied by that mass, and is measured in kg/m. The density is critical for the thermal per- formance properties of an insulating mate- rial. A low density generally also implies a high porosity or a high volume of voids, which leads to a decrease in the thermal conductivity, i.e. to a better thermal insu- lating effect for that material. The density of thermal insulating materials is measured according to DIN EN 1602. 8 Thermal conductivity The capacity to conduct heat is a materi- al-specific property of all substances, irrespective of whether they are in solid, liquid or gas form. The thermal conductiv- ity is the capacity of a substance to trans- port thermal energy. Insulating materials are supposed to con- duct heat badly in order to prevent large heat losses. The lower the heat conduc- tion in a material, the less heat flows through it. Thermal conductivity % is there- fore an important factor. The thermal conductivity is measured specifically for a material in W/mK, a unit which specifies the quantity of heat pass- ing through a 1 x 1 x 1 m cube of material for a temperature difference of 1 K between one side and the other. According to the definition in DIN 4108 “Thermal insulation and energy economy in buildings”, materials with a thermal conductivity < 0.10 W/mK may be classed as thermal insulating materials. Most insulating materials have thermal conduc- tivities in the range 0.0380 to 0.050 W/mK, and such values can be regarded as good. Materials with thermal conduc- tivities < 0.030 W/mK can be regarded as very good, whereas values around 0.060 W/mK are only moderate, and val- ues > 0.070 W/mK are relatively high. The heat conduction of an insulating mate- rial is heavily influenced by the following factors: * raw material used * density of insulating material * nature and microstructure of sclid com- ponent * moisture content and temperature of insulating material - cell gases Density (values of customary products, tested to DIN EN 1602) Thermal insulating material Density [kg/m*] Aerogel 60-80 Cotton 20-60 Pumice 150-230 Foamed glass 150-230 Expanded perlite (EPB) 90-490 Expanded clay 260-500 Flax 20-80 Cereal granulate 105-115 Hemp 20-68 Urea-formaldehyde resin in situ 10 foam (UF) Wood fibres (WF} 30-270 Wood-wool boards (WW) 3850-600 Calcium silicate foam 115-300 Coconut fibres 70-120 estan tains 120-860 Insulation cork beard (ICB) 100-220 we foam 8-14 Mineral wool (MVV) 20-200 Phenolic foam (PF) 40 Polyester fibres 15-20 Polyethylene foam (PE) 50-110 Bt 1EPS) ie-28) extuded XPS) 25-15 Polyurethane rigid foarn 380-100 (PUR) Pyrogenic silicic acid 300 Sheep's wool 25-30 Cellular glass (CG) 115-220 Reeds 120-225 Sea grass 5 i oa 450-300 Exfoliated vermiculite (EV), 70-160 expanded mica Insulating clay bricks — 500-750 4 Cellulose fibres 30-80 ‘Wermal conductivity (typical nominal values) ‘Whermal insulating material Thermal conductivity + Standard or approval [W/(mK)] caren! 0.017 -0.021 individual approval (Chonan 0.040 according to approva (Plummer: 0.060-0.080 according to approva — glass 0.070-0.093 according to approva Ennanced perlite (EPB) 0.045-0.070 DIN EN 13169 Empanced clay 0.085 -0.10 according to approva Fitae 0.037 -0.045 according to approva (Gres) granulate 0.050 according to approva (Cynewn foam 0.045 according to approva — 0.040-0.050 according to approva \[Link] cde neasiom iim Situ 0.035-0.040 DIN 18159 ‘ftom: (LIF) ‘Witmmd fiinres (WF) 0.040-0.080 DIN EN 13171 \inc-awo0! boards (WW) 0,090 DIN EN 13168 (Gaicurn silicate foam 0.045 —0.065 according to approval ame 0.030-0.070 according to approval (Gincorur fibres 0.040-0.050 according to approval immuiltion cork board (ICB) 0.045 -0.060 DIN EN 13170 Nitigiearmime foarn (MF) 0.035 approval not applied for (Nimes! wwe! (MV) 0.035-0.045 DIN EN 13162 (Phesmoilc: Foam (PF) 0.022 - 0.040 DIN EN 13166 Popeater fibres 0.035 -0.045 according to approval (Ponikextryene foam (PE) 0.033 according to approval ee es 0.035-0.040 DIN EN 13163 areal 0.030-0.040 DIN EN 13164 ea 0,024-0,030 DIN EN 13165 (Pheri silicic acid 0.021 - S wool 0,040-0.045 according to approval (itil glass (CG) 0.040-—0.060 DIN EN 13167 — 0.055 -0.090 according to approval — Qrass 0.043-0.050 according to approval ‘Bean hailes 0.038-0.072 according to approval — eee 0.002-0.008 individual approval eos (By); 0.046-0.070 according to approval Mititwiigttirig clay bricks 0.080-0.140 according to approval p Callus flores 0.040-0.045 according to approval Properties of insulating materials Several methods can be used to measure the thermal conductivity which take into account the specific material properties, Thermal insulating materials covered by standards are usually tested according to DIN EN 12664, 12667 and 12939, and those materials not covered by standards are tested according to DIN 52612. In fibrous insulating materials, the fine- ness of the fibres and their orientation play a major role. In foam insulating mate- rials, on the other hand, the thermal con- ductivity is determined by the fineness and distribution of the cells and particu- larly by the gases in those cells, also pos- sibly by any blowing agent trapped in the cells. And in insulating materials made from wood fibres or wood wool, it tends to be the density that-is critical for the insu- lating capacity. Generally, the most favourable densities are in the range between 20 and 100 kg/m*. At lower densities the heat transmitted by radiation increases, and at higher densi- ties the heat transmitted by conduction increases. Furthermore, the moisture content of an insulating material affects its conductivity. The thermal conductivity of fibrous insu- lating materials rises more steeply than that for closed-cell foam materials for the same increase in moisture content. As the thermal conductivity of a material or product is subjected to certain fluctua- tions depending on the quality of the raw materials and the methods of manufacture, values must be measured and checked continually. In order to give designers some degree of assurance when calculating the ther- mal performance of a building, standards and building legislation stipulations have therefore been introduced that specify the “thermal conductivity design value” Properties of insulating materials (see also p, 69). It is these values that should be used when carrying out analy- ses according to Germany’s Energy Con- servation Act (EnEV). Thermal resistance, total thermal resist- ance, thermal transmittance The thermal resistance, total thermal resistance and thermal transmittance are not values specific to a material, but instead variables for determining the ther- mal performance parameters for building components. For the sake of complete- ness, however, they will be explained here with the other material properties. To calculate the thermal resistance R, the specific thermal conductivity 4 of a build- ing material is placed in relation to its thickness d: R = d/a [mK] The higher the thermal resistance of a building component, the greater is its heat-insulating effect. By adding up the thermal resistances of all the building component layers, includ- ing the surface resistances between the air and the component surfaces internally (R,) and externally (R,,), we can calculate the total thermal resistance R;: R,=A(d/A,) +R, + Ry, [mK] The total thermal resistance specifies the component's resistance to the flow of heat taking into account all the different layers in that component. The thermal transmittance, known as the U-value, is the reciprocal of the total ther- mal resistance: U = 1/R, [W/m?k] 10 1 Constituents of cellulose fibres This value specifies the quantity of heat exchanged per second between a sur- face of 1 m? and the surrounding air dur- ing constant heating with a temperature difference of 1 K between the surface and the air. Specific heat capacity The specific heat capacity c describes the specific ability of a material to absorb heat depending on its mass. It specifies the quantity of heat Q required to raise the temperature of the mass m of a substance by 1 K (temperature differ- ence AT). © = QUmAT) [JAK] The specific heat capacity of an insulat- ing material is measured using a special technique known as calorimetry. Just how much heat can be stored depends very much on the microstructure and density of the material. Heavy components take longer to heat up, and if their specific heat capacity is higher, such materials can store more heat. Although the specific heat capacity of thermal insulating materials is not so sig- nificant, in summer, good values can have a positive effect on the interior climate in lightweight structures (which includes the majority of roof spaces) (see also pp. 90-91). Temperature stability In practice, resistance to extreme temper- atures is primarily relevant for insulating materials where they come into contact with hot bitumen or other hot adhesives, or when they are used to insulate hot ves- sels and pipes. In the case of plant and systems, the lower limiting value can be important. Furthermore, the duration of the thermal effect is often critical for the temperature stability. Many insulating materials can withstand brief temperature excursions beyond their specified temperature limits. But if extreme temperatures continue for longer periods or indeed are a permanent feature, then dimensional changes plus loss of form and strength, even thermal decomposition, may be the result. Specific heat capacity (to DIN EN 12524) Thermal insulating material Specific heat capacity c [J/(kgK)] Cotton 840-1300 Pumice 1000 Foamed glass 800-1000 Expanded perlite (EPB) 1000 Expanded clay 1100 Flax 1300-1640 Cereal granulate 1950 Gypsum foam 1000 Hemp 1500-2200 ao eee resin 4500 Wood fibres (WF) 1600-2100 Wood-wool boards (WW) 2100 Calcium silicate foam 1000 Ceramic fibres, ceramic foams 1040 Coconut fibres 1300-1600 Insulation cork board (ICB) 1700-2100 Mineral wool (MW) 600-1000 Polystyrene, expanded (EPS) 1500 Polystyrene foam, extruded (XPS) 1300-1700 Polyurethane rigid foam (PUR) 1400-1500 Sheep's wool 960-1300 Cellular glass (CG) 800-1100 Reeds 1200 ae so0-son Cellulose fibres 1700-2150 Wwost manufacturers therefore specify maximum values for their products in use imaximum service temperature). Insulat- img materials can react very differently to heat or cold and there is no uniform test method that enables a direct comparison tpetween all insulating materials. Easiest fio compare are the strength properties of the materials according to the test criteria fior dimensional stability. Dimensional stability and temperature- induced changes in length In order to guarantee the dimensional sta- bility of insulating materials under defined temperature and moisture conditions, or defined compression and thermal loads, the product standards specify minimum requirements for dimensional stability. In this respect, the standards distinguish between reversible and irreversible changes. Maximum service temperatures (based on manufacturers’ information) Thermal insulating material Maximum service Maximum service temperature, temperature, short-term [°C] long-ter [°C] (Gatton < 400 100 Foamed glass no details 600-700 fxoanded perlite (EPB) 250 110-800 IKiemp 120 100 \Linza-formaldehyde nesin in situ no details 110 foam (UF) - Wind fibres (WF) no details 110 \Wiiod-wool boards (WW) 180 110 si (C8), 180-200 110-120 immeral wool (MW) with binder 250 100-200 (Glass wool without binder 600 500 Fock wool without binder 1000 600-750 Finenolic foam (PF) 250 150 Fioiwester fibres no details 100 Paivethylene foam (PE) no details -40 to +105 cost Se es) 100 80-85 FPtolhwestyre \ — rigid foam 250 -30 bis +120 iimmpemnivc: silicic acid no details 950-1050 ‘Sess ‘3 wool 500 130-150 " (Giisliutar glass (CG) 750 -280 to +430 meres ea (EM no details 700-1600 Talubose fibres no details 60 Properties of insulating materials All materials undergo material-specific dimensional changes due to temperature fluctuations caused by the changing sea- sons or the circumstances of their appli- cation. These dimensional changes are mostly reversible. The dimensions of plas- tic foam alter to a markedly greater extent than those of fibrous and other inorganic insulating materials. In the case of large- format insulating elements, possible stresses caused by thermal movements should be considered at the design stage. The behaviour of the material is expressed by its coefficient of thermal expansion measured in K"', which describes the change in length in millimetres per metre length of the material for a temperature change of 1 K (see tab. 1, p. 12). Irreversible changes in the form of shrink- age or contraction can be caused by excessive temperatures or even chemical effects. Rigid foams in particular are stored after manufacture until they reach a con- stant size because the gas exchange in the cells can lead to changes in length. Such processes must be complete before the boards are released onto the market. Constant compressive loads can also lead to irreversible changes in the form of deformation or settlement. This subject is dealt with in detail in the section on com- pressive strength. “Breathability” Readers who expect an evaluation-rele- vant statement on the “breathability” of insulating materials at this point will be disappointed! The breathability of building materials is not a measurable physical variable. Max von Pettenkofer’s erroneous assumption has persisted since 1865. As part of his investigations into hygiene in rooms by measuring the air change rate, he 11 Properties of insulating materials assumed that a considerable part of the air exchange necessary for hygienic con- ditions took place through the walls. This work later led to the term “breathing wall” being used. But building materials do not “breathe”! Indeed, considering the efforts taken these days to create sealed build- ing envelopes in order to save energy, such a property is highly undesirable. The “preathing” idea either developed out of the unfounded fear of being “encapsu- lated” or the desire for hygroscopic build- ing materials that can regulate moisture fluctuations in interiors. Both of these ideas are unfounded because the air change rate required for hygienic conditions can only be achieved through targeted ventilation measures, and the humidity of the interior air can be regu- lated to a limited extent only by the inte- rior surfaces. In this respect, loam has good properties when compared to con- crete, for example, but it is still only the topmost millimetres of a layer that are involved in absorbing moisture from the air. Insulating materials do not usually participate in this process at all because they are covered by other layers. Indeed, an uncontrolled increase in moisture in an insulating material would be undesirable because of the other consequences such as an increase in the thermal conductivity and even the risk of mould growth. Advertisements for insulating products that refer to “breathing” properties are therefore not to be taken seriously! Water vapour diffusion resistance There is always a certain amount of water vapour in the air and also in building components. The water vapour molecules are constantly striving to distribute them- selves uniformly in all directions. Building materials present a certain resistance to this distribution which depends on their microstructure. To measure this resistance, we compare 12 the vapour-tightness of a 1 m thick layer of air with a 1 m thick layer of material, which results in the dimensionsless resist- ance factor u: vapour-tightness of material (d = 1 m) - vapour-tightness of air (d = 1 m) The water vapour diffusion resistance index py is used to calculate the diffusion behaviour of building components. Upper and lower values are listed for many insu- lating materials, which can be governed by the method of manufacture or the cell structure. The less favourable value for the application is always used in calcula- tions. Normally, fibrous insulating materials present very little resistance to diffusion, having an only marginally different diffu- sion resistance to that of air. Rigid foam products present a higher resistance to water vapour which, however, is irrelevant in customary forms of construction. Cellu- lar glass is unique among insulating mate- rials in that it has a U-value of “infinite”, and is therefore regarded as vapour-tight. Water absorption In principle, any type of water or moisture absorption is undesirable for any type of insulating material. As the thermal con- ductivity of water is about 20 times greater than that of stationary air, the absorption of water is always connected with an increase in the thermal conductivity. Water can infiltrate insulating materials in diverse ways. Possible causes apart from design and construction errors are con- struction moisture and the saturation of the insulating materials during storage, transport or installation. Most insulating materials are not hygro- scopic, i.e. they do not absorb moisture from the air, or they are given a water- repellent treatment during manufacture, Coefficient of thermal expansion Coefficient of thermal expansion [K*] Thermal insulating material Polystyrene, expanded (EPS) 5 x10° to 7x10° Polystyrene foam, . . extruded (XPS) 6 x10* to 8 x10 Polyurethane rigid foam (PUR) 5x10* to8x10° a4 Water vapour diffusion resistance index (to DIN EN 12086) Thermal insulating material Water vapour diff. resistance index up [-] Catton 1-2 Pumice Foamed glass Expanded clay 4 1-5 Expanded perlite (EPB) 38-5 2-8 1-2 Flax Cereal granulate 3 Gypsum foam 4-8 Hemp b=2 Urea-formaldehyde resin in situ foam (UF) = Wood fibres (WF) 5-10 Wood-wool boards (WW) 2-5 Calcium silicate foam 3-20 Coconut fibres 1-2 Insulation cork board (ICB) 5-10 Mineral wool (MW) 1-2 Phenolic foam (PF) 60 Polyester fibres 1-2 Polyethylene foam (PE) 7000 Polystyrene, expanded (EPS} 20-100 oe ok e0-200 Polyurethane rigid foam (PUR) 380-200 Sheep’s wool 1-5 Cellular glass (CG) Reeds 2-5 Vacuum insulation panel (VIP) 00 Exfoliated vermiculite (EV), expanded mica — Insulating clay bricks 5-10 9 Cellulose fibres 1-2 eS a ae _ gmtiey can withstand a certain moisture Vimaci! without damage. Apart from that, they (@amerally do not support capillary action, ig. they do not suck up or transport ‘atte. Nevertheless, it is generally advis- titi 10 avoid installing damp insulating | imaiierials because they are frequently _ (ammibined with vapour check or vapour tari layers that prevent the insulation iim dirying out. ) (ince installed, insulating materials can git) be saturated by diffusion and conden- _ Gigtionm processes. If water vapour diffuses _ ‘iam imside to outside through the insulat- itm material due to pressure differences, iittczam Cool so significantly upon contact mii Te Cold external building components ithe the water vapour saturation point is | ached and condensation forms. Regu- | hiarar frequent repetitions of this conden- _ @mtion process can lead to the insulating " matierial becoming completely saturated. _ Whe 2iiso applies to insulating materials mc lin extremely damp environments ~ fuel 2s upside-down roofs and in the (imesence of hydrostatic pressure. Hinmever, arranging the layers of the con- | ‘aimuwction correctly according to building ~ giinwssics requirements will reliably prevent _ \imumisture absorption through diffusion and | (gmmdiensation. q Wer are defined maximum values for the immgority of insulating materials which should mmtt ne exceeded in short- or long-term wmaier absorption tests. These tests are aitiner described in the product standards (mr im the national technical approvals (see gio pp. 66-69). (Gampressive stress, compressive strength (Generally speaking, the compressive gimength of an insulating material is mainly m@ietermined by its density. In fibrous insu- lgtiimg materials the fineness of the fibres @md their orientation is also critical. Long-term water absorption (to DIN EN 12087) Properties of insulating materials Tensile strength (to DIN EN 1607) Thermal insulating material Long-term water absorption [% by vol.] unless stated otherwise Cotton 12-13 kg/m? Foamed glass 15 Hemp 4.2 kg/m? Mineral wool (MW) 3 kg/m? Polystyrene, expanded (EPS) 1-5 Polystyrene foam, extruded (XPS) 0.1-0.3 Polyurethane rigid foam (PUR) 1.5-3 Cellular glass (CG) 0 Exfoliated vermiculite (EV), <5 expanded mica Thermal insulating material Tensile strength perpendicular to plane of board [kPa] Wood fibres (WF) 2.5-50 Wood-wocl boards (WW) 2.5-50 Insulation cork board (ICB} 30-50 Mineral wool (MW) 3.5-80 Phenolic foam (PF) 60 Polystyrene, expanded (EPS) Sige Polyst f : ‘olystyrene foam > 200 extruded (XPS) Polyurethane rigid foam (PUR) 40 The compressive stress is defined as the stress at which an insulating material is compressed by 10% across its thickness. The compressive strength is defined as the maximum stress at which failure of the material occurs, i.e. when the sample begins to break. The lower value governs. Both values are measured in a rapid short- term test and are principally required for quality control purposes or for comparing with other products. They are in no way suitable for calculating loadbearing insu- lating forms of construction subjected to permanent loads. Constant compressive stress For those insulating materials used in appli- cations in which they are subjected to com- pression, the long-term creep behaviour under permanent load is critical. Exam- ples of such applications are industrial floors, trafficked roofs (rooftop terraces, green roofs, parking decks) and load- carrying insulation below ground floor slabs. High temperatures can reduce the load-carrying capacity of an insulating material. The insulating material stand- ards prescribe tests for determining the behaviour under compression and ther- mal loads (see also pp. 66-69). Tensile strength For those insulating materials subjected to loads perpendicular to the plane of the board (e.g. wind suction in a thermal insulation composite system), it must be ensured that no delamination occurs within the layer of insulation. Tests are carried out according to DIN EN 1607 “Thermal insulating products for building applications — Determination of tensile strength perpendicular to faces’. Compressive stress or compressive strength, constant compressive stress (behaviour for compressive loads to DIN EN 826, behaviour under constant compressive stress to DIN EN 1606) Thermal insulating material Compressive stress at 10% deformation or Constant compressive stress [kPa] compressive strength for## [kPa] Foamed glass 120-140/500' 160! Expanded perlite (EPB) 150-300 100 Wocd fibres (WF} 40-200 - Wood-wool boards (WW) 150-200 , - insulation cork board (ICB) 100-200 - Melamine foam (MF) 4-20 - Mineral wool (MW) 15-80 = Phenolic foam (PF) 120 - Polystyrene, expanded (EPS) 60-200 20-60? eee 150-700 50-250 Polyurethane rigid foam (PUR) 100-500 20-30 Cellular glass (CG) (works standard) 500-1700 160-380 Vacuum insulation panel (VIP) 45-120 - ae 1089 Cellulose fiores (boards) 2.5 - ‘for particle size 10/50 mm, beneath load-carrying backing boards 5 *special products 13 see eee 3 (flakes) Properties of insulating materials 1 Hemp plant 2 Caulking hemp made from hemp fibres prepared exclusively by mechanical means For example, EPS insulating materials used in a thermal insulation composite system must exhibit a tensile strength of at least 100 kPa. Bending strength The bending strength is an especially rel- evant criterion for wood-wool and wood- wool composite boards when these boards are installed without a backing material, i.e. span freely between supports, e.g. as a direct covering to timber stud construc- tion to form a background for plaster/render, or to bridge the clear distances between the top flanges of steel beams. The bending strength is determined ac- cording to DIN EN 12089 “Thermal insu- lating products for building applications — Determination of bending behaviour’. Dynamic stiffness Airborne and structure-borne sound (in particular impact sound) place acoustic requirements on insulating materials. As with thermal insulation, the sound insula- tion of an insulating material depends on its cellular or fibrous microstructure. Soft, resilient materials are generally better suited to sound insulation than rigid, hard materials. There are two important parameters for evaluating the acoustic properties of insu- lating materials: dynamic stiffness and sound impedance per unit length. The dynamic stiffness s° is the most important material property for assessing impact sound insulating materials. It des- ignates the resilience of an insulation layer. The lower the dynamic stiffness, the bet- ter is the impact sound insulation. Dynamic stiffness is determined accord- ing to DIN EN 29052 by measuring the resonant frequency of an assembly con- sisting of test samples of the insulating material and a known mass. Above this resonant frequency, the floor finishes atten- uate the impact sound. DIN 4108-10 con- tains minimum dynamic stiffness values for standard insulating materials. The values are divided into stiffness steps between 5 and 90 MN/m* for classification purposes. In addition to insulation relevance for impact sound, the dynamic stiffness is an important parameter for wall linings plus separating and party walls where sound insulation requirements must be satisfied. Dynamic stiffness and sound impedance per unit length (dynamic stiffness to DIN EN 29052, sound impedance per unit length to DIN EN 29053) Thermal insulating material Dynamic stiffness s° Sound impedance [MN/m*] per unit length r [kPas/m?] Flax no details >2 Hemp no details >6 Wood fibres (WF) 4-8 9-100 Wood-wool boards (WW) 4-8 9-100 Melamine foam (MF) no details 8-20 Mineral wool (MVV) Glass wool no details S10) Rock wool 7-35 6-43 Polystyrene, expanded (EPS) 10-40 kA. Cellulose fibres (boards) 3-7 43-76 no details 3,6-20 14 Sound impedance per unit length Insulating materials that are used to im- prove the acoustics should, in principle, minimise the propagation of the sound. To evaluate insulating materials used for this purpose in acoustic ceiling systems, the sound impedance per unit length r is a critical parameter. According to DIN EN 290538, it is calculated from the sound impedance related to the material thick- ness and is specified in Ns/m* or kPas/m?. Here again, the value should be as low as possible in order that incident sound waves are essentially absorbed and no longer reflected. Reaction to fire With respect to fire protection, the Ger- man Building Regulations prescribe in the Model Building Code that “building con- structions should be arranged and equipped such that the outbreak of a fire and the spread of flames and smoke are prevented in order to avoid risks to the lives and health of persons and animals, and that in the event of a fire, effective extinguishing operations plus the rescue of persons and animals are possible”. This results in certain requirements for insulating materials concerning fire devel- opment and fire propagation plus the for- mation of smoke and flaming droplets/ particles. In order to classify the behaviour of insu- lating materials in fire, DIN 4102 “Fire behaviour of building materials and ele- ments” contains standard provisions for determining building materials classes. Alongside this there is now DIN EN 1350+ “Fire classification of construction prod- ucts and building elements”, which is based on the harmonised European standard. This latter standard defines seven “Euroclasses” (A1, A2, B, C, D, E, F) plus additional fire behaviour criteria regarding smoke development (s1 to s3) mit the formation of flaming droplets/par- Bs (dO to d2). DIN EN 13501 does not yet include nlete information about testing for =s A2 io D, for the time being national mica! approvals that refer to DIN 4102-1 (permitted for the insulating materials iramese Euroclasses. inith classification systems may be used. Tp obtain a CE marking according to the pnised European standards, how- the Euroclass must be specified, mithe manufacturer can specify the DIN 2 building materials class as well. This Ss that there are frequently references esting application approvals that still in details of the DIN 4102 classes also pp. 64, 70 and 102). Insulating ials requiring approvals for which is no standard are usually labelled @mmording to DIN 4102. ‘from the statutory requirements, are generally faced with the ques- of which hazardous substances might jibly be released from insulating mate- in the event of a fire. Toxic gases such ™@ carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide aad PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocar- tins). dioxins, furans, benzpyrene or other qmecific substances can certainly ensue imam combustion or charring. In addition, = boron salts used as flame retardants m be washed out during extinguishing erations and contaminate the surround- @ soil (see also p. 103). The quantities qd concentrations of hazardous sub- ices released during a fire depends mm the particular fire situation and cannot ‘be described in general terms. Froperties of insulating materials Reaction to fire (Euroclasses to DIN EN 13501, building materials classes to DIN 4102) Thermal insulating material Euroclass Bldg. materials class Cotton - Bi, B2 Pumice - Al Foamed glass - Al Expanded perlite (EPB) C-s1, dO to D-s1, dO B2 Expanded clay 7 Al Flax B-s2, dO to C-s2, dO B2 Cereal granulate = B2 Gypsum foam - B2 Hemp E B2. Urea-formaldehyde resin in situ foam (UF) - : B1, B2 Wood fibres (WF) E B1, B2 Wood-wool boards (WW) B-s1, dO B1 Calcium silicate foam ~ Al, A2 Coconut fibres - B2. Ceramic fibres, ceramic foams 7 Al Insulation cork board (ICB) - .B2 Melamine foam (MF) - Bi Mineral wool (MW) Glass wool Al, A2 A2 Rock wool Al Al Phenolic foam (PF) C-s1, do B2 Polyester fibres = B1 Polystyrene, expanded (EPS) E B1 Polystyrene foam, extruded (XPS) E Bi Polyurethane rigid foam (PUR) B-s2, dO to C-s8, dO Bi, B2 Pyrogenic silicic acid - Al Sheep’s wool E B2 Cellular glass (CG) Al Al Reeds = B2 Sea grass - B2 Exfoliated vermiculite (EV), expanded mica ~ Ai, Bi Cellulose fibres E B1, B2 15 Ties of insulating material i vi reg Prundstein ication Mite classification of thermal insulating Inorganic insulating materials _ Wil the insulating materials listed here are ttiscrided individually on the following | qumaes. ' Source: lsoliertechnik 5/1996 | mirals is carried out according to their Synthetic Glass wool p. 24 yimaterials. In doing so we distinguish sok wool p. 21 — éllular glass p. 24 thwe2n an inorganic (mineral) and organic Foamedialaes p26 inhi fior the raw material. The insulating Calcium silicate foam p. 27 ‘miteriais within these two main groups Ceramic fibres, ceramic foam p. 28 : . _ , : Aerogel p. 28 futher subdivided into natural and syn Pyrogenic silicic acid >. 29 Wien: materials depending on the further Slag wool p. 29 ig mmmessing of the original raw materials. Gypsum foam p. 29 atte: so-called natural products, the raw Natural Expanded perlite p. 30 matter! remains essentially unchanged. exlglia((@ vermiculite pyal 4 Expanded mica p. 31 | iiomi=wer, if the mineralogical composition Expanded clay p. 32 ‘the orginal raw material is changed Purnice p. 33 “itl ‘to some specific form of processing, lasWiahingu@lay. rons Pusd |g. graduced commercially or assembled, We usually soeak of synthetic materials. . ; ; 7 Organic insulating materials ns : : Synthetic Polystyrene, expanded p. 34 2 o7 the natural insulating materials Palystienie tein, exendsa p. 36 Mumiain relatively large amounts of addi- Polyurethane rigid foam p. 38 tess such as fire-retardant salts, impreg- Polyurethane in situ foam p. 40 “mse Phenolic foam p. 41 ‘Wuuttima substances, strengthening fibres Melamine foam or ‘iy tmciers that are not natural materials. Polyethylene foam p. 42 \iamier that such materials can still be Urea-formaldehyde resin in situ foam p. 43 ‘thesignated “natural”, the additives should Rolyestoiinis p. 43 ‘Mmtt constitute more than 25% of the mate- Natural pe anee! Sie a : Wood fibres p. 45 Miia (isased on studies by Dr. Margit (etAuGrnC cHOSSrS p. 46 PiuermrSs") Cellulose fibres p. 47 E Hemp p. 48 , ; : Sheep's wool .49 Tite owerview of insulating materials on een - 50 “iii riaint adheres to the above classifica- Flax p. 50 “thiom. The order within the groups is based Se granulate p. ere eeds p. imum he current significance of the respec- Soconit iors p. 52 “Vie material for the market. Particularly Sea grass p. 53 ean insulating materials or those no ea ee p. on : . rey fi ; fan NESE SHVEF Grass p. anger commonly used are listed in italics. Poat p. 5A Diwtssicie this classification there are four Straw bales p. 54 ‘iieweiopments that apart from nanocellu- ‘\igrinems cannot be classified on the thmsis of their raw materials. These devel- New developments ‘iqum@ments involve not building materials, Transparent thermal insulation p. 55 j : Switchable thermal insulation p. 56 , (wit! rather prefabricated components or NERSESIMIE See > 56 ‘Systems tailored to specific functions. Vacuum insulation panel p. 57 We Types of insulating material Applications Applications matrix Application Inorganic Synthetic Natural Exfoliated vermiculite (EV), expanded mica (below waterproofing) e with defined properties to DIN V 4108-10 ® with building authority approval for product or application © seldom used as thermal insulating material 16 oO a £ oO : : - Q a a E & BS) th 0 2 : G oe 8 a 8 — oO eS ~ pay 2 = = ~ . 2 a 2 = = oe) eS Se | a | oe oe s ae 3 s 2 oO pai & = = Re) wo 3 = a oO a E 3 ° Bi eae ae ee, [os 3 3 D > © = gS = | 3 EG 2 = 8 E | so 3 ‘ is oD Ss oc oO 5 € oO oO = 5 c Cc 8 S 2 5 2 x = E 5 a > 2 D G G = & Se | Be a eee 2 | § | 3

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