EP2776643B1

EP2776643B1 - Multilayer panel having thermal insulation properties

Info

Publication number: EP2776643B1
Application number: EP12799287.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ugo Faotto
Original assignee: Silcart SpA
Current assignee: Silcart SpA
Priority date: 2011-10-19
Filing date: 2012-10-19
Publication date: 2018-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2032-10-19
Also published as: WO2013057713A1; RS57186B1; RU2627056C2; ES2668912T3; EP2776643A1; PL2776643T3; ITMI20111900A1; RU2014119935A

Description

The present invention relates to a multilayer building panel having thermal insulation properties. Such multilayer panel is utilisable, in particular, in the building industry for ensuring the adequate thermal insulation of walls, roofs and the like.
Panels having thermal insulation properties of the known type generally comprise an insulation layer, for example manufactured in expanded polyurethane or phenolic resin, sandwiched between two respective backing layers suitable for cladding such insulation layer. Such backing layers perform a dual role: on the one hand they contain the expansion of the polyurethane foam or resin, and on the other give such panels a predefined shape and thickness.
Insulation panels are known, for example, wherein the backing layers of the insulation layer are made using organic materials (such as paper or card) or inorganic materials (such as millesimal aluminium, mineral fibres etc.). It may be observed that the thickness and composition of the aforesaid backing layers make such layers flexible, that is such layers can be bent and rolled up. Panels with flexible backing layers are widely used in building constructions, for example to ensure the thermal insulation of walls, floors and roofs. In particular, in such applications, the aforesaid insulation panels with flexible backing are not visible from the outside of the building structures. One such sandwich panel is known from US 5698304 A . Insulation panels comprising backing layers of the insulation layer manufactured in metal are also known in the art, in other words such backing layers are rigid and self-supporting. Such panels with rigid backings are known to the skilled person as "sandwich panels".
As is known, sandwich panels are used to make the roofs and walls of buildings, to prefabricate cold rooms, manufacture insulated doors, etc. In the various applications, especially in the building sector, sandwich panels may be visible from outside the structure in that they constitute the prefabricated walls or roofs of the structures.
In particular, in the construction sector of buildings suitable for livestock or similar agricultural uses, sandwich panels are used to manufacture the walls or roofs of such constructions in that they guarantee elevated resistance to the particular environmental conditions created therein. In greater detail, in such sandwich panels suitable for building constructions for livestock, the backing layer of the insulation layer which faces towards the inside of said constructions is made in a material resistant to the attack of micro-organisms, bacteria, vapour and condensation loaded with organic acids. For example, such backing layer of the panel is manufactured using fibreglass laminate or plasticised galvanised (zinced) steel. Instead, the backing layer of the panel facing towards the outside of the construction is generally manufactured in galvanised steel or other metals.
Sandwich panels are also known of wherein the backing layer in fibreglass or galvanised steel is replaced by a respective layer manufactured in bituminous felt paper. In such case, in order to also permit use of such sandwich panels in the realisation of constructions suitable for livestock, a protective coating layer of the layer in bituminous felt paper must also be provided in the absence of which such layer in bituminous felt paper would be rapidly deteriorated by the attack of vapours and condensation loaded with the organic acids developing as a result of livestock activities.
It is to be observed that in general the three types of sandwich panel mentioned above ensure adequate heat insulation so that inside the constructions suitable for raising livestock temperatures harmful to the health of the animals are not reached.
In particular, the sandwich panel in which one of the backing layers is made in bituminous felt paper has the advantage of being economical. However, it requires use of a further coating layer to cover the layer in bituminous felt paper so that said sandwich panel can be used to make constructions suitable for livestock.
Instead, the sandwich panels in which the backing layer facing the inside of the building used for livestock purposes is made from fibreglass, plasticised steel or in other metals is resistant to the attack of aggressive agents, is hard-wearing and washable but has the drawback of being expensive.
The purpose of the present invention is to devise and make available a multilayer panel having thermal insulation properties which makes it possible to overcome the drawbacks complained of above with reference to the insulation panels of the prior art at least partially.
Such purpose is achieved by a multilayer construction panel according to claim 1.
Preferred embodiments of such multilayer panel are described in the dependent claims 2-7.
The invention also relates to a roof structure of a building according to claim 8.
Further characteristics and advantages of the multilayer panel having thermal insulation properties according to the invention will, in any case, be evident from the description given below of its preferred embodiments, made by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

figure 1 shows a perspective and partially open view of a first example of multilayer insulation panel according to the invention;
figure 2 shows a transversal cross-section view of a second example of multilayer insulation panel according to the invention;

With reference to the aforesaid figures 1 and 2, a multilayer building panel having thermal insulation properties according to the invention is globally denoted by reference numerals 100 and 200 respectively. In the aforesaid drawings 1-2 the same or similar elements will be indicated using the same reference numerals.
With reference to figures 1-2, the multilayer insulation panel 100,200 comprises a main layer 1 in insulation material, for example in expanded polyurethane or phenolic resin. Such main layer 1 comprises a first surface 10 and a second surface 20 opposite each other.
The insulation panel 100, 200 further comprises a first reinforcement layer 2 connected to the main layer 1 along the first surface 10 and a second reinforcement layer 3 connected to the main layer 1 along the second surface 20. In this way, the main layer 1 is sandwiched between the first 2 and second 3 reinforcement layers.
Such reinforcement layers 2 and 3 are backing and cladding layers of the main insulation layer 1 of the panel 100,200. The multilayer insulation panel 100,200 of the invention is such that the second 3 reinforcement layer comprises a respective layer manufactured in polymeric material.
It is to be observed that the aforementioned polymeric material is chosen from the group consisting of:

high-density polyethylene or HDPE;
low-density polyethylene or LDPE;
a mixture of high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene;

It is to be observed that the afore mentioned materials may be new, that is first use material, or recycled.
In addition, the aforementioned layer manufactured from polymeric material generally has a thickness ranging from 40 µm and 3 mm.
It is also to be observed that the layer of the panel 100,200 made in polymeric material and with the thicknesses recalled above is a flexible layer, that is, such layer may be bent and rolled up.
In particular, with reference to the panel 100 in figure 1, in a preferred embodiment, the second reinforcement layer 3 of such panel 100 comprises a single layer manufactured in polymeric material of one of the examples recalled above.
It is to be observed that in a further embodiment, the aforesaid reinforcement layer 3 may comprise a plurality of sub-layers of polymeric material different from each other or manufactured starting from the same polymeric material by means of co-extrusion or extrusion in subsequent steps. According to the invention, moreover, the first reinforcement layer 2 of the panel 100 is manufactured in metal material, for example galvanised (zinced) steel.
The insulation panel 100 shown in figure 1 is therefore a sandwich panel. Such sandwich panel 100, may advantageously be used in building constructions, to make walls or roofs. In particular, such panel 100 can be used to make constructions suitable for livestock or similar agricultural purposes. In addition, such panel 100 may be used for the prefabrication of cold rooms, the manufacture of insulated doors, refrigerated display counters etc.
Again with reference to figure 1 the first surface 10 of the main insulation layer 1 of the sandwich panel 100 comprises first ribs 11 having a truncated pyramidal cross-section and substantially parallel to each other. Such first ribs 11 project in a substantially orthogonal direction from the first surface 10. In addition, the first surface comprises second ribs 12 substantially parallel to each other and having a lesser thickness than the first ribs 11. Such first 11 and second 12 ribs are generated by the interference of the polyurethane in expansion with the outline of the first reinforcement layer 2 in metal. In particular, in the example in figure 1, such outline corresponds to the outline of a chequer plate.
It is to be observed that the second surface 20 of the main layer 1 may be substantially flat and free of corrugations, or may comprise incisions (not shown in figure 1). Such incisions are generated by the interference of the polyurethane in expansion with a knurled or embossed surface of the layer 2 in polymeric material. Such knurled or embossed surface of the layer in polymeric material adjacent to the second surface 20 of the main insulation layer 1 is suitable for favouring the adhesion of the insulation material to the backing and increases the dimensional stability of the entire panel 100.
Such incisions may be of different shapes (for example they may be lines, lozenges, squares, circles, etc.) Such incisions may also be the outline of a logo. Moreover, the depth of such incisions may be variable and ashlars may be envisaged to make the panel 100 suitable for being applied in the foundations of a building.
With reference to the insulation panel 200 in figure 2, in a preferred embodiment, the second reinforcement layer 3 comprises a single layer manufactured in polymeric material of one of the examples recalled above.
It is to be observed that for the panel 200 also, the second reinforcement layer 3 may comprise a plurality of sub-layers of polymeric materials different from each other or all produced starting from the same polymeric material. Such sub-layers are made, for example, by means of a simultaneous co-extrusion procedure of all the substrates or by means of extrusion of each substrate in subsequent steps.
The insulation panel 200 may advantageously be used in the building sphere for cladding walls, floors and roofs and ensuring the thermal insulation thereof.
Such cladding panel 200 may also be used to make ducts for the transport of air.
With reference to figure 2, the first surface 10 of the main insulation layer 1 is free of ribs and substantially flat. In the same way, the second surface 20 of the main layer 1 is substantially flat and free of ribs.
In a further embodiment, both the surfaces 10, 20 of the panel 200 are knurled or embossed to facilitate the adhesion of the insulation material to the backing and to increase the dimensional stability of the entire panel 200.
In a further embodiment, the insulation cladding panel 200 is configured so that both the first 2 and the second 3 reinforcement layer comprise a layer manufactured in the aforementioned polymeric material.
In a further embodiment, both of the sandwich panel 100 and the cladding panel 200, the second reinforcement layer 3 comprises a respective layer in polymeric material attached to a further backing layer.
According to a first embodiment, such further backing layer is manufactured from a material chosen from the group consisting of: a non-woven fabric or a synthetic fabric, such as polypropylene, polyester; a non-woven fabric in fibreglass; a composite non-woven or synthetic fabric; a natural or non-woven fabric; a synthetic, natural or composite mesh; a non-woven fabric including a mesh; a film, for example of polypropylene film (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO),thermoplastic polyurethane film (TPU).
Preferably, such further backing layer is heat-welded to the layer of HDPE or LDPE (or PP, PET, biopolymer material) subsequent to the extrusion step of such polymeric layer. It is to be observed that the use of fibreglass and natural or synthetic mesh advantageously increases the dimensional stability of the second reinforcement layer 3.
According to a second embodiment, such further backing layer comprised in the second reinforcement layer 3 is manufactured from aluminium and is heat welded to the layer of HOPE or LDPE polymeric material. In this way, the second reinforcement layer 3 is impermeable to gas and has greater dimensional stability and mechanical resistance compared to the case in which the reinforcement layer 3 comprises the layer in polymeric material only.
It is to be observed that the cladding insulation panel 200 according to the invention may advantageously be used in the building sector inside the roof structure, in particular applied in association with synthetic rubber waterproofing membranes, for example of the EPDM (modified ethylene-propylene diene); polyolefin films, type TPO, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The polymeric surface is, moreover, suitable for laying a self-adhesive waterproofing membrane, of the bituminous or non-bituminous type.
Moreover, it is to be observed that the layer of HDPE or LDPE polymeric material included in the panels 100 and 200 of the invention may be advantageously treated to increase its sealing properties to gas. Such treatments of the type known to a person skilled in the art, comprise, for example:

surface metallization with treatments such as physical vapour deposition (PVD) or sputtering;
co-extrusion with other polymers such as for example HDPE-EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol)-HDPE
loading of the polymer with nano particles such as nano clays;

Other treatments which may be performed on the layer in polymeric material of the panels 100, 200 comprise:

corona treatment suitable for increasing the surface tension of plastic films to improve their adhesion to other sub-layers;
addition of anti-microbe and anti-insect additives;
anti-static surface treatments to prevent the deposit of dust.

Moreover, the surfaces of the layer of HDPE or LDPE polymeric material comprised in the panels 100 and 200 may, advantageously be treated with plasma, resins or fluorocarbon polymers and may be enamelled to improve their adhesion to the polyurethane or phenolic foams during the manufacturing of said panels.
Moreover, the layer of polymeric material may be treated with refractory or flame-retardant additives to improve the flame resistant properties of the panels 100 and 200.
In addition, the layer in polymeric material may include holes to facilitate the escape of the expansion gas of the insulation foam during the production of the panel 100,200. Such holes have, for example, a diameter varying from several microns, if made using a stretching process of the polymeric material after extrusion, to about 1mm in the case in which the polymeric material is mechanically perforated.
It is to be observed that the first 2 and second 3 reinforcement layers of the panels 100 and 200 may be applied directly to the main insulation layer 1, that is, at the moment of extrusion of the polyurethane so as to contain the polyurethane foam in expansion. Alternatively, the first 2 and second 3 reinforcement layers may be attached to the surfaces 10 and 20, respectively, of the main layer 1, at a later date, using glue.
In this latter case such backing layers 2,3 may be applied as a finish to panels of different types, made with natural (such as wood fibre, cork), mineral (such as rock wool, glass wool) or synthetic (such as extruded polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene EPS) insulating materials.
The multilayer insulation panels of the invention, both the sandwich panel 100 and the cladding panel 200 have numerous advantages.
In particular, the sandwich panel 100 can be used to manufacture walls or roofs of buildings suitable for livestock. It is to be observed that the structure of a roof, for example a pitched roof, of a building destined for livestock , generally comprises at least one roofing element with an inclined pitch from the ridge line to a respective eaves line. Such roof element comprises a first terminal rim joined to a first support element of the roof having an extension substantially parallel to the ridge line, and a second terminal rim opposite said first rim, joined to a second support element of the roof having an extension substantially parallel to the eaves line.
Such roof element may be made so as to include one or more multilayer panels of the sandwich type 100 of the present invention. In particular, each sandwich panel 100 is joined to said first and second support elements of the roof so that the first metal reinforcement layer 2 of the panel 100 has a side facing towards the outside of the building and the second reinforcement layer 3 comprising the layer in HDPE, LDPE polymeric material or mixture thereof has a respective side facing towards the inside of the building destined for livestock.
The Applicant has verified that such portion of sandwich panel 100 facing the inside of the buildings is resistant to the attack of micro-organisms, bacteria, vapour and condensation loaded with organic acids which are generated in the aforesaid environments destined for livestock. Consequently, the sandwich insulation panels 100 comprising the layer in polymeric material are long-lasting. Such panels are, in addition, washable with high pressure jets.
Moreover, the Applicant has verified that, advantageously, making the second reinforcement layer 3 comprising the layer in HDPE or LDPE polymeric material or mixture of HDPE and LDPE, associated with a fibrous backing layer comprising a non-woven fabric in fibreglass or a fibreglass mesh makes it possible to obtain a reinforcement layer 3 which is as flexible as the prior backings using plastic films or paper. At the same time, such second reinforcement layer 3 of the panel 100 has characteristics of resistance to the attack of micro-organisms, vapour and condensation loaded with organic acids similar to those of fibreglass.
It is to be observed that the second reinforcement layer 3 made with the materials mentioned above is a flexible layer which is substantially immune from the drawbacks of the prior panels comprising layers in fibreglass, such as the formation of cracks and chipping. Moreover, compared to the aforementioned HDPE and LDPE polymer materials, fibreglass is a more expensive material and requires more complex production and machining processes.
Moreover, given that both the HDPE and LDPE polymer materials, and the fibreglass have affinities with the polyurethane foams of the main insulation panel 1, with the panel 100 according to the invention there is no risk of delamination of the second reinforcement layer 3 from such insulation layer 1.
It is to be observed that the panels 100 and 200 comprising a layer in HDPE or LDPE have the advantage of being less expensive than the corresponding panels of the prior art.
In addition, the cladding panel 200 having one or both the reinforcement layers 2, 3 in polymeric material has an elevated resistance to mechanical actions, such as traction or crushing.
As regards the sandwich panel 100, the layer in polymeric material may be treated to assume different colours. Such panel 100 thereby assures a pleasing aesthetic effect of the interiors of buildings.
In general, the Applicant has verified that for both the panels 100 and 200 of the invention, the layer in polymeric material has an elevated resistance to acids, alcohols, alkalis, saline solutions, organic solvents and moulds.
A person skilled in the art may make modifications and adaptations to the embodiments of the multilayer insulation panels described above, while remaining within the sphere of protection of the following claims. Each of the characteristics described as belonging to a possible embodiment may be realised independently of the other embodiments described.

Claims

A multi-layer building panel (100) of a sandwich type having thermal insulation properties, utilisable for the manufacture of roofs and walls of buildings, comprising:
- a main layer (1) in insulating material comprising a first surface (10) and a second surface (20);

- a first reinforcement layer (2) connected to the main layer (1) along said first surface (10) ;

- a second reinforcement layer (3) connected to the main layer (1) along said second surface (20), said second reinforcement layer comprising a layer manufactured in polymeric material;
said main layer (1) being sandwiched between the first (2) and second (3) reinforcement layers, and said second reinforcement layer (3) comprising a further fibrous backing layer attached to said layer in polymeric material,
characterised in that
said first reinforcement layer (2) is manufactured in metal material, and in that
said layer in polymeric material of the second reinforcement layer (3) is manufactured in a material selected from the group consisting of:
high-density polyethylene or HDPE, low-density polyethylene or LDPE or a mixture thereof.
Multi-layer panel (100) according to claim 1, wherein said first reinforcement layer (2) is manufactured from galvanised steel.
Multi-layer panel (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said layer manufactured from polymeric material is 40 µm to 3 mm thick.
Multi-layer panel (100) according to claim 1, wherein said further fibrous backing layer is manufactured from a material chosen from the group consisting of:
- a non-woven fabric or a synthetic fabric, such as polypropylene, polyester;
a non-woven fabric in fibreglass;
a composite non-woven or synthetic fabric;

- a non-woven fabric or a natural fabric;

- a synthetic, natural or composite mesh;

- a non-woven fabric including a mesh.
Multi-layer panel (100) according to claim 1, wherein said further fibrous backing layer in polymeric material includes a plurality of holes, each hole having a diameter ranging from several microns to about 1 mm.
Multi-layer panel (100) according to claim 1, wherein said first (2) and second (3) reinforcement layers are attached to the main layer (1) by means of a glue.
Multi-layer panel (100) according to claim 1, wherein said second reinforcement layer (3) in polymeric material comprises a knurled or embossed surface adjacent to the second surface (20) of the main insulation layer (1).
Pitched roof structure of a building suitable for livestock, comprising:
- at least one roofing element with an inclined pitch from the ridge line to a respective eaves line, such at least one roof element comprising:

- a first terminal rim joined to a first support element of the roof having an extension substantially parallel to the ridge line, and

- a second terminal rim opposite said first rim, joined to a second support element of the roof having an extension substantially parallel to the eaves line, wherein said at least one roof element includes a multilayer panel of the sandwich type (100) according to claim 1, said sandwich panel being operatively joined to said first and second support elements of the roof, so that the first metal reinforcement layer (2) of said panel has a side facing towards the outside of the building, and the second reinforcement layer (3) in polymeric material has a respective side facing towards the inside of the building.