Expanded Polystyrene DataSheet

Coolstructures EPS is a closed cell, lightweight, resilient, foamed plastic composed of hydrogen and Carbon atoms. Coolstructures EPS has a compressive strength of 10-60 psi for most construction Applications. Within that range Coolstructures EPS can be molded to meet specific application Requirements.

Applied in roofs, walls, and foundations, Coolstructures EPS has a successful history of efficient use in Industrial, commercial, cold storage and residential construction. Where energy efficiency and cost Effectiveness have long been primary design considerations, architects have made Coolstructures EPS the dominant thermal insulation.

LONG-TERM INSULATION VALUE

Coolstructures EPS insulation (1.0 pcf) provides a typical R-value of 4.17 per inch (k-factor=0.24) at a Mean temperature of 40°F, and a typical R-value of 3.85 per inch (k-factor=0.26) at a mean temperature of 75°F. The higher the R-value, the higher the insulating effect.

When properly installed and protected from

Moisture, the R-value of Coolstructures EPS insulation remains constant. T he R-value will not decrease with age. As a result, the thermal resistance, or R-value of Coolstructures EPS may be used without any adjustment for aging.

MOISTURE RESISTANCE

A study by the Energy Materials Testing Lab (EMTL) has shown that EPS insulation material installed in well-constructed roofs does not absorb appreciable moisture, even under conditions characteristic of prolonged, cold, damp winters. The small amount of moisture absorbed (an average of 0.2% by weight) has little or no effect on the compressive or flexural strength and the EPS insulation retains between 95%

And 97% of its thermal efficiency. Though EPS has low water vapor transmission, EPS is not a vapor barrier. Rather, it “breathes” and, therefore needs no costly venting as do some other relatively impermeable insulation materials which

Could otherwise trap moisture within walls and roof assemblies.

TEMPERATURE CYCLING

Coolstructures EPS is able to withstand the abuse of temperature cycling, assuring long-term performance. In a series of tests conducted by Dynatech Research and Development Co., Cambridge, MA, core specimens removed from existing freezer walls, some as old as 16 years, demonstrate EPS freeze thaw

Cycles without loss of structural integrity or other physical properties.