Foamed polystyrene. What is he like?

Foamed polystyrene appeared in the middle of the twentieth century. It is made from polystyrene pellets produced during the processing of oil. Therefore, polystyrene has an organic basis. The most surprising thing is that this substance is contained even in foods such as cheese, strawberry, cinnamon, wine and some others. Polystyrene is recognized as non-toxic and neutral to living organisms. This means that the substance is not capable of harming people and can be used in various areas of human activity.

Foamed polystyrene is produced by foaming and sintering polystyrene beads. The granules are pumped with pentane (this is a natural gas condensate) with simultaneous steam heating. As a result, the granule increases almost 50 times, turning into a balloon filled with air. This ball is very elastic and stable, and the reverse process, that is, "blowing off," does not occur. The polystyrene foams thus obtained are sintered by steam. A homogeneous material is obtained. The processes of foaming and sintering are simultaneous.

Unfortunately, in Russia the production of polystyrene occurs with the use of outdated technology. It is called "a method of suspension polymerization of styrene in the presence of a steam generator." While the world industry uses the method of continuous polymerization in bulk. This method makes it possible to obtain high quality material at a lower cost.

Foamed polystyrene is almost 100% air. It does not contain any additional chemicals. This material is very durable, it does not collapse under the influence of the environment. Therefore, it is actively used in construction. Since polystyrene has good thermal conductivity, it practically does not pass moisture, is not harmful to human health and the environment.

In construction foamed polystyrene is used as a heater. For example, a polystyrene plate with a thickness of 12 centimeters replaces a wall made of wood with a thickness of 45 centimeters or a brick 2 meters thick!

The technology of thermal insulation of walls with polystyrene plates is very simple. They are glued to the surface with special glue. For strength joints between plates are strengthened by dowels with a wide plastic bonnet. The heater is glued to the mesh, which prevents the appearance of cracks and deformations. The structure is covered once again with a solution of glue. Then follows the finishing with decorative plaster or other materials.

It is very easy to buy expanded polystyrene. It can be chosen in any construction shop. It is cheaper than other insulating materials. At purchase it is necessary to be defined, what exactly polystyrene is necessary. It can be of two kinds - for warming walls and warming the floor. The first is not as dense as the second. There is a difference between polystyrene and the thickness of the sheet - from 20 mm to 120 mm. The choice depends on the proposed work. Usually, for the warming of walls in our climate with a standard wall thickness , polystyrene with a thickness of 50 mm is sufficient. If the structure with thin walls, the polystyrene should be thicker. The same rule applies to the choice of option for floor insulation.