DE212011100129U1 - EPS thermal insulation composite panels - Google Patents

Abstract

An EPS thermal insulation composite panel comprising a lower, a central and an upper EPS panel, characterized in that each outer surface of the EPS composite panel comprises an extrusion skin.

Description

This invention relates to extruded polystyrene (EPS) insulating panels.

EPS insulation boards are made by extruding polystyrene with a blowing agent through a die or nozzle. The thermal conduction through an EPS insulating board depends on the thickness of the board and the intrinsic properties of the board (including, for example, the cell structure created during extrusion and foaming, and the insulating properties of the blowing agent used). Unfortunately, there is a tendency for the intrinsic insulating properties to degrade as the thickness of the extruded EPS insulating material is increased. Consequently, it may be advantageous to laminate two EPS sheets together to form a thicker sheet so that the intrinsic insulating properties of the laminated insulating sheet are better than would be obtained by extruding a monolithic EPS sheet of the same thickness. Further, propellants used heretofore are replaced by propellants which are more environmentally friendly but whose ability to increase the intrinsic insulating properties of EPS sheets is generally reduced. Consequently, the use of propellants from z. As HCFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) instead of CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) or of CO ₂ instead of CFC or HCFC's the difficulties in obtaining optimized intrinsic insulating properties with thick monolithic EPS plates.

The European patent application EP 1 213 118 A1 discloses laminating together two EPS sheets whose extrusion skin has been removed using a water-permeable adhesive. The removal of the extrusion skin and the use of a water-permeable adhesive should ensure that no barrier is created between the two plates which could block the passage of water vapor.

The European patent application EP 1 213 119 A1 discloses laminating together two EPS sheets whose extrusion skin has been removed by solvent welding. Again, the removal of the extrusion skin and the use of solvent or solution welding to ensure that no barrier is created between the two plates, which could block the passage of water vapor.

A method for bonding polystyrene and / or polyethylene plates using an oil-heated rod to melt the contact surfaces is disclosed in U.S. Pat DE 4421016 disclosed.

EP 1 213 118 A1 and EP 1 213 119 A1 however, reveal that this method was not implemented because it created a barrier layer between the two plates which prevents the passage of water vapor.

While EP 1 231 118 A1 and EP 1 231 119 A1 pertaining primarily to EPS composite panels consisting of two individual panels joined together, they disclose that a 60 mm thick panel is used to make composite panels of 120 mm, 180 mm and 240 mm by joining together two, three or four 60 mm plates can be used. Accordingly, it is disclosed that a 50 mm thick plate can be used to produce plates of 100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm or 250 mm by connecting together two, three, four or five 50 mm plates.

The present invention provides a new and technically advantageous configuration for an EPS composite panel and related fabrication techniques.

• – Vermindern und/oder Verbessern der Produktdichte (das Erhöhen der Dicke einer monolithischen EPS-Platte erhöht im Allgemeinen deren Dichte) und/oder
• – Verbessern der Abmessungsstabilität und/oder
• – Vermindern der Alterungszeit (d. h. der Zeit, die zur Stabilisierung des Zellengasgehalts benötigt wird).

In particular, compared to prior art monolithic EPS thermal insulation panels of the same thickness, the composite EPS thermal insulation panels of the present invention provide a means to:

• Reducing and / or improving the product density (increasing the thickness of a monolithic EPS sheet generally increases its density) and / or
• Improving the dimensional stability and / or
• - reducing the aging time (ie the time needed to stabilize the cell gas content).

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides an EPS composite panel as defined in claim 1. Other aspects of the invention are defined in other independent claims. The dependent claims define preferred or alternative embodiments.

The term "EPS composite panel" means a panel comprising a plurality of individual EPS panels joined together.

According to the doctrine of EP 1 213 118 A1 and EP 1 213 119 A1 For example, it was considered essential to remove the extrusion skins from each face of each EPS sheet in the production of a laminated EPS thermal insulation composite panel. It is thus surprising that an EPS thermal insulation composite panel having acceptable properties, including an acceptable water vapor transmission, can be constructed without removing any extrusion skin.

Leaving the extrusion skin on each outer surface of the EPS composite panel can improve the water vapor transmission properties of the EPS composite product.

Among other things, the thermal efficiency of an EPS composite panel is a function of its overall thickness. The removal of extrusion skins, which is generally accomplished by planarization (typically using a rotating planarizer), removes a layer of material from the single EPS sheet, thereby reducing the thickness. Consequently, if each extrusion skin of the individual EPS sheets is removed in the manufacture of the EPS composite panel, then individual EPS sheets must be made to have a greater thickness prior to removal of the extrusion skin than their desired thickness after removal of the extrusion skin , The aspect of the present invention in which the skins are left not only reduces the number of steps involved in the production of the EPS composite panels, but also reduces the amount of stock required to hold the individual To provide EPS sheets of the desired thickness.

Leaving the extrusion skin on each contact surface of a central EPS sheet has the additional advantage that this single EPS sheet does not require processing between its production and its lamination to form the EPS composite sheet.

It may be advantageous to remove the extrusion skin from the contact surface of the lower and upper EPS plates, especially if a central EPS plate comprises an extrusion skin on each of its contact surfaces, in particular to optimize the thickness tolerance of the EPS composite plate. If a single EPS sheet is made to the desired nominal thickness, the actual thickness produced will vary within a certain tolerance. Thus, in an EPS composite panel, the thickness variation will be the sum of the thickness tolerance of each individual EPS panel. The removal of the extrusion skin from the contact surface of lower and upper EPS sheets, particularly when the EPS composite sheet is comprised of three individual EPS sheets, provides an advantageous way of adjusting the thickness tolerance of the EPS composite sheet to less than the sum of the extrusion thickness tolerances ; This is because the thickness tolerance associated with the removal of the extrusion skin can be made simpler and narrower than the extrusion tolerance. Thus, the tolerance of the thickness of the upper and lower EPS plates, once their extrusion skins have been removed, may be narrower than the thickness of the central EPS plate.

In some embodiments of the invention, the extrusion skin may be removed from each face of each EPS sheet.

• a) Verschweißte Abschnitte, die durch weniger intensiv oder nicht verschweißte Abschnitte getrennt sind, und/oder
• b) beabstandete verschweißte Abschnitte in der Form von Linien, die durch weniger intensiv oder nicht verschweißte Abschnitte getrennt sind.

With regard to the doctrine of EP 1 213 118 A1 and EP 1 213 119 A1 It is also surprising that an EPS thermal insulation composite panel having acceptable properties, including an acceptable water vapor transmission, can be made by bonding the individual EPS panels together by heat welding. Variable intensity heat seals provide an advantageous way of doing so, both in terms of the welding process and the EPS composite panels being made. The term "variable intensity heat seal" means a heat seal in which the amount of fusion or fusion is more intense at some points than at others. The variable intensity welding may include:

• a) welded sections separated by less intense or non-welded sections, and / or
• b) spaced welded sections in the form of lines separated by less intense or non-welded sections.

In particular, when the EPS composite panel consists of or comprises an upper, a central and a lower EPS panel, the individual EPS panels are preferably simultaneously welded together to produce the EPS composite panel.

The heat seal may be generated using a welding rod or rods that are passed over a surface to be welded or, preferably, contacting or contacting and pressing or pressing a surface to be welded. Preferably, the welding rod or rods are stationary, with a relative movement with respect to the surface to be welded, resulting from the movement of the EPS plate (s). Embodiments may also be provided in which the welding rod or the welding rods move or move.

The contact surface prior to welding may be substantially planar (eg, in the state of a substantially flat EPS surface having its extrusion skin) or planar (eg, an extruded surface whose extrusion skin has been removed by rotational planarization). Alternatively, the contact surface may be profiled prior to welding, for example, it may include a plurality of bumps or peaks and valleys, which are preferably spaced regularly over the surface thereof. Such a profiling may be (i) a distance of greater than 10 mm or greater than 15 mm and / or less than 100 mm, 80 mm or 50 mm and / or a tip-to-recess distance greater than 0.5 mm or more than 1 mm and / or less than 6 mm or 5 mm. A profiled contact surface may be used to (i) produce variable intensity welding and / or (ii) optimize welding by melting primarily peaks of the profile so as to reduce the amount of molten material and / or or the area of the contact surface is increased. Such a profiled surface may be provided by (i) extruding the surface having the desired profile, (ii) planarizing an extruded surface so as to remove the extrusion skin and provide the desired profile, or (iii) planarizing an extruded surface such that the extrusion skin is partially removed and the desired profile is provided.

The invention is particularly advantageous with regard to EPS composite panels having a thickness of at least 90 mm, especially if each individual EPS panel has a thickness of at least 20 mm. In particular, if the EPS composite panel consists of three individual EPS panels, their thickness may be less than 140 mm or less than 130 mm and / or more than 210 mm or more than 220 mm.

The thickness of the individual EPS sheets may be substantially the same; this facilitates the production process and the production and storage of the individual EPS plates as starting materials. Preferably, the thickness of the upper and lower EPS plates is substantially equal; The thickness of the lower EPS plate can be between ± 10% of the thickness of the upper EPS plate. In particular, when it is desired to produce an EPS composite panel having a thickness that can not be made from individual EPS panels of the same thickness, the thickness of the central EPS panel may vary with the thickness of each of the upper and lower EPS panels. Distinguish plate by at least 5 mm, preferably by at least 10 mm.

The EPS composite panel is preferably free of adhesives. This facilitates recycling both during manufacture and at the end of the product's useful life.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 is a perspective view of an EPS thermal insulation composite panel,

2 is an enlarged schematic representation of a variable intensity heat seal,

3 a schematic side view of a device which is used to produce the EPS plate of 1 suitable is,

4 a side view of the welding rod is in the 3 is shown

5 a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of 3 is

6 a schematic representation according to the 5 an alternative welding rod.

The EPS thermal insulation composite panel 10 from 1 includes three single EPS plates: a lower EPS plate 11 , a central EPS plate 12 and an upper EPS plate 13 , It should be noted that The terms top, center, and bottom are intended to indicate the relative positions of each EPS sheet within the EPS composite panel rather than the orientation or orientation of the EPS composite panel.

Both the upper outer surface 14 as well as the lower outer surface 15 (not visible) of the EPS composite panel includes its EPS extrusion skin. The term "area" indicates the major surfaces of the EPS composite panel or individual EPS panels as opposed to their two side surfaces and two end surfaces. The term "contact area" indicates an area in which a single EPS plate is in contact with another single EPS plate. In the 1 Only the edges of the contact surfaces are visible, with the top 13 and the central 12 EPS plate by heat welding at their respective contact surfaces 13 ' . 12 ' are interconnected and the lower 11 and the central 12 EPS plate by heat welding at their respective contact surfaces 11 ' . 12 '' connected to each other.

The EPS composite panel 10 has a thickness t, ie perpendicular to their outer surfaces 14 . 15 that's from the thicknesses of every single EPS plate 11 . 12 . 13 is composed.

2 shows an enlarged view of a part of the connection between contact surfaces of individual EPS plates. This shows a heat seal with variable intensity 21 , the weld beads 22 Includes, by less intensively welded sections 23 are separated.

The 3 shows a method of laminating a lower one another 11 , a central one 12 and an upper one 13 EPS plate for forming an EPS composite panel 10 , The individual EPS plates 11 . 12 . 13 be in the direction 31 transported so that their contact surfaces over heating surfaces 32 . 33 . 34 . 35 of heat-welding rods 36 . 37 pass by and be pressed against them (by squeezing rollers, not shown). The squeeze rolls 38 . 38 ' then connect the molten or partially melted contact surfaces of the individual EPS plates together to form the EPS composite panels 10 , Drive rollers (not shown) located upstream of the welding rods 36 . 37 Press the individual EPS panels over the welding rods, with some of the traction also being through the nip rollers 38 . 38 ' provided. The temperature of each welding rod 36 . 37 can be monitored, preferably at spaced positions along its length, and can be automatically set to a desired nominal temperature. The welding rods 36 . 37 are preferably electrically heated, although oil heating can be used. While a single heat source may be used for the entire length of each welding rod, it is preferable to have independently controllable heat sources for at least the end portions of each welding rod 36 . 37 provide; this can be keeping a constant temperature along the entire length of each welding rod 36 . 37 taking into account edge effects that tend to reduce the temperature at the end regions.

• a) den Kontakt zwischen der Kontaktfläche einer einzelnen EPS-Platte und dem Schweißstab zu erhöhen, insbesondere wenn die Kontaktfläche durch eine Walze (nicht gezeigt) gegen den Schweißstab gedrückt wird, und/oder
• b) eine Wärmeverschweißung mit variabler Intensität zu erzeugen, wobei die Spitzen der Unebenheiten ein intensiveres lokales Schmelzen und/oder Verschweißen einer Kontaktfläche einer EPS-Platte verursachen als die Vertiefungen.

As it is in the 5 is shown, which is a cross section of the welding rod 37 along the line 5-5 in the 4 includes each heating surface 34 . 35 of the welding rod bumps 51 which in this embodiment are in the form of V-shaped teeth, the V-shaped tips 52 and depressions 53 form. Alternatively, the bumps may be in the form of a series of square and / or rectangular shaped teeth. The bumps 51 can be used to:

• a) increase the contact between the contact surface of a single EPS plate and the welding rod, in particular when the contact surface is pressed against the welding rod by a roller (not shown), and / or
• b) to produce a variable intensity heat seal, wherein the peaks of the bumps cause more intense local melting and / or welding of a contact surface of an EPS plate than the depressions.

In the in the 5 The configuration shown corresponds to the position of the tips 52 on a heating surface 35 the position of the depressions 53 on the other heating surface 34 , The 6 shows an alternative arrangement in which the position of the tips 52 on a heating surface 35 the position of the tips 52 on the other heating surface 34 equivalent.

Preferably, the heat-sealing comprises variable intensity 21 a weld of the entire (or substantially all) contact surface of each EPS plate with spaced weld sections 22 that are more intense melted and / or welded. This has been found to produce high mechanical strength at the bond between individual EPS sheets, while also allowing acceptable levels of water vapor transmission for the EPS composite sheet.

EPS thermal insulation panels typically have a water vapor transmission of about 80 to 300. It has been found that examples of EPS thermal insulation composite panels according to the present invention have the following water vapor transmission: Measured interface Water vapor transmission Equivalent air thickness About the extrusion skin on the outer surface of an EPS composite panel Between 180 and 240 About 1.1 m Over the contact surfaces of individual EPS plates, which are connected with a heat-welding with variable intensity Between 45 and 65 About 0.6 m About the core of a single EPS plate Between 25 and 40 About 0.3 m

• – Wasserdampfdiffusionswiderstandsfaktor, μ, für homogene Produkte und
• – Wasserdampfwiderstand, Z, für oberflächenbearbeitete oder nicht-homogene Produkte.

The water vapor transmission properties are determined according to EN 12086 determined and generally represented as:

• - Water vapor resistance factor, μ, for homogeneous products and
• - Water vapor resistance, Z, for surface-treated or non-homogeneous products.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 1213118 A1 [0003, 0006, 0012, 0018]
• EP 1213119 A1 [0004, 0006, 0012, 0018]
• DE 4421016 [0005]
• EP 1231118 A1 [0007]
• EP 1231119 A1 [0007]

Cited non-patent literature

• EN 12086 [0041]

Claims (8)

An EPS thermal insulation composite panel comprising a lower, a central and an upper EPS panel, characterized in that each outer surface of the EPS composite panel comprises an extrusion skin. The EPS thermal insulation composite panel of claim 1, wherein the central EPS panel comprises an extrusion skin on each of its contact surfaces. An EPS thermal insulation composite panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the extrusion skin has been removed from the contact surfaces of the lower and upper EPS panels. An EPS thermal insulation composite panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the individual EPS panels are bonded together by heat welding at their contact surfaces to form the EPS composite panel. An EPS thermal insulation composite panel comprising a bottom, a central and an upper EPS panel, characterized in that each individual EPS panel is attached to its or its adjacent EPS panels by heat welding to its contact surface. An EPS thermal insulating composite panel according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the heat seals are variable intensity heat fuses. EPS thermal insulation composite panel comprising at least two individual EPS sheets, characterized in that the individual EPS sheets are attached to each other at their contact surfaces by a variable intensity heat seal. An EPS thermal insulating composite panel according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the variable intensity heat fuses are produced in a step comprising passing contact surfaces of the individual EPS panels over an uneven surface of a welding rod.

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