Trademarked brand for extruded polystyrene
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Styrofoam insulation extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), owned and manufactured by DuPont
Styrofoam is a genericized trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), manufactured to provide continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and as a water barrier. This material is light blue in color and is owned and manufactured by DuPont. DuPont also has produced a line of green and white foam shapes for use in crafts and floral arrangements.[1]
Worker installing styrofoam frost protection insulation board.
The term styrofoam is often used in the United States as a colloquial term to refer to expanded (not extruded) polystyrene foam (EPS).[2] Outside the United States, EPS is most commonly referred to as simply "polystyrene" with the term "styrofoam" being used in its capacity to describe all forms of extruded polystyrene, not just the Dupont brand itself. Polystyrene (EPS) is often used in food containers, coffee cups, and as cushioning material in packaging.[3][1] Styrofoam is, however, a far less dense material than EPS and is more commonly suited to tasks such as thermal insulation.[2]
Additionally, it is moderately soluble in many organic solvents, cyanoacrylate, and the propellants and solvents of spray paint.
History
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In the s, researchers, originally at Dow's Chemical Physics Lab, led by Ray McIntire, found a way to make foamed polystyrene. They rediscovered a method first used by Swedish inventor Carl Georg Munters, and obtained an exclusive license to Munters's patent in the United States.[4] Dow found ways to adapt Munters's method to make large quantities of extruded polystyrene as a closed cell foam that resists moisture. The patent on this adaptation was filed in .[5]
Uses
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Styrofoam has a variety of uses. Styrofoam is composed of 98% air, making it lightweight and buoyant.[6]
DuPont produces styrofoam building materials, including varieties of building insulation sheathing and pipe insulation. The claimed R-value of styrofoam insulation is approximately 5 °F&#;ft2&#;h/BTU for 1 inch thick sheet.[7]
Styrofoam can be used under roads and other structures to prevent soil disturbances due to freezing and thawing.[8][9]
DuPont also produces styrofoam blocks and other shapes for use by florists and in craft products.[10] DuPont insulation styrofoam has a distinctive blue color; styrofoam for craft applications is available in white and green.[1]
Environmental issues
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The EPA and International Agency for Research on Cancer reported limited evidence that styrene is carcinogenic for humans and experimental animals, meaning that there is a positive association between exposure and cancer and that causality is credible, but that other explanations cannot be confidently excluded.[11][12]
See also the expansive list of environmental issues of polystyrene, among which it being non-biodegradable.
See also
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References
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Modified shipping containers are used for multiple applications and in many regions across the United States&#;all the way from the heat of a Texas summer to the frigid cold of a Minnesota winter. You may be wondering how to insulate a shipping container to stay cool and warm in these climates.
The solution is simple. Modified shipping containers can be insulated to protect contents from the effects of heat and cold. How they&#;re insulated depends on two things, the climate and how the container will be used.
Here, you&#;ll gain insights into four environmentally friendly insulation options to learn how to insulate a shipping container to create a comfortable, climate-controlled structure for all seasons.
For more rockwool panels for insulating shipping containersinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
Why Insulate Shipping Containers?
There are many benefits of insulating a modified shipping container. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that nearly half of all annual energy dollars are spent on heating and cooling, and depending on where you live, it could be more than half. But you can drastically improve the energy efficiency of nearly any structure with proper insulation. With the right type and thickness of insulation, you can significantly reduce the amount of time your AC and heating systems in a shipping container have to run, minimizing power consumption &#; and your utility bill.
While sturdy and durable, a shipping container's steel walls can get very hot in the summer and cold in the winter. That means you&#;ll definitely need insulation if you intend to use the container as a living or working space, or if you plan to store temperature-sensitive assets such as electronics or perishable goods.
The amount and type of insulation your shipping container requires depends on the climate of your jobsite and the shipping container&#;s function. As noted, there are three basic options for creating optimum energy efficiency: Styrofoam, rolled batt, and spray foam insulation.
Each type of insulation has an R-value that indicates its efficacy as an insulator (the higher the R-value the greater the insulation). R-values are also additive: the same way that a Thermos with thicker walls does a better job keeping beverages hot or cold, thicker layers of insulation will have higher R-values, making them more eco-friendly.
Insulation Options for Shipping Containers
Ideal Use
Examples
R-Value
Installation Process
Key Benefits
Styrofoam
Non-heat producing assets
Records storage, Animal feed storage
4 (one-inch thickness)
Fast and easy; Requires no framing
Highly cost-effective
Batt
Living & workspace
Mobile container office, Locker room
13 (3.5-in thickness); 19 (6-inch)
Fast and easy; Requires framing
Cost-effective; High R value
Spray foam
Enclosures for heat-producing equipment
Server rooms, Water treatment equipment enclosures
6 (1-inch thickness); 12 (2-inch); 18 (3-inch)
Calls for specialty equipment; Requires no framing
Water-resistant; Hard finish; High R-value
Mineral wool
Living & workspace Applications that require non-flammable materials
Workspaces, living spaces , and storage
Living & workspace 13 on wall, 26 on ceiling (3.7 &#; 4.2 per inch)
Similar to batt but slightly more cumbersome; Requires framing
Non-flammable; water resistant; high R-value
Types of Insulation for Shipping Container Structures
Styrofoam: Ideal for Basic Storage Containers
Fast and easy to install, polystyrene (commonly known by one brand name, Styrofoam) is a cost-effective way to add basic insulation to a storage container and has the added benefit of helping deaden sound. Using Styrofoam as the insulating material doesn&#;t require any build-out of stud walls to secure the panels (as batt insulation does).
The panels are glued directly onto the walls of the shipping container or mounted on bars that are flush with the walls, making it the most economical insulation method. Of the three types of insulation, it has the lowest R-value at 4, so it is most suitable for storage. Standard climate-controlled storage containers come with one inch of Styrofoam insulation which has a 50-year lifespan.
Batt Insulation: Ideal for Container OfficesLiving Spaces
Made of finely woven strands of fiberglass, mineral wool, or plastic fibers, batt insulation&#;the pink cotton-candy-like material you&#;ve likely seen in attics and crawl spaces&#;is the industry standard for residential and office structures. Customers usually opt to use batt insulation for container offices and living spaces.
Once the shipping container&#;s interior wood framing is in place, batt insulation is easy to install and conceal behind a vapor barrier and plywood finish-out. While the insulation itself is very cost-effective, the framing and plywood can add extra costs. However, its superior performance will significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, bringing greater value over time. Batt insulation with an R 13 or R 19 rating is recommended to create comfortable living and working environments, and it has a lifespan of 100 years.
Spray Foam: Ideal for Temperature-Sensitive Equipment Enclosures
As its name suggests, spray foam insulation is sprayed onto interior surfaces where it expands slightly and sets as a hard, water-resistant covering. While not aesthetically pleasing on its own, spray foam requires no framing because it adheres to the shipping container walls. It has a high R-value (R = 6 per inch of thickness) and a long lifespan of 80 years.
Although there are interior finishes offered to cover spray foam, such as plywood or aluminum walls, customers looking for a purely functional climate-controlled space for temperature-sensitive equipment will sometimes choose spray foam with no further finish-out.
The nature of spray foam insulation includes other benefits, too:
- Acts as a sound barrier
- Won&#;t settle over time the way batt can
- Resists mold, fungus, and bacteria
Clearly, spray foam has many benefits, but the specialty equipment required for installation also makes it the most expensive option. Spray foam is ideal for enclosures that house highly temperature-sensitive assets, like paper documents, certain types of equipment, and computer network servers.
Mineral Wool: Ideal for Applications That Require Non-Flammable Materials
Mineral wool is sometimes called rock or slag wool insulation because it&#;s made from rock, blast furnace slag, or other melted raw materials. These materials are spun into fibers that appear to have a similar texture to wool. Mineral wool is used for living spaces but is ideal for applications that require a non-flammable insulation option.
The installation of mineral wool requires framing, like rolled batt, but steel framing helps with entirely non-flammable projects. An R-value of 13 on the walls and 26 on the ceiling helps deaden sound and provides thermal insulation while repelling water.
We hope this overview of how to insulate a shipping container is useful. It&#;s just one of the many modifications that can be made to a shipping container. To view additional modification options, check out our modifications catalog. You might be surprised to discover the many creative and unique ways that shipping containers can be modified to meet your needs.
Ready to talk more about your shipping container project? We&#;re ready to help. Call us at 877-704- or .
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