Thermal insulation materials lay the walls and floor of all houses under construction today. The number of heaters offered by manufacturers is so great that not everyone heard about some of them. But such material as Penofol, the characteristics of which have pretty good indicators, is known to many. No wonder - this heat insulator will protect you from noise, and the absorption of moisture by the walls will reduce, and the heat transfer in the room will significantly slow down.
Meet Penofol
This insulation consists of several layers. In the middle is a self-extinguishing foam type, and on the edges - high-quality aluminum foil. Its thickness is from 12 to 30 microns, and the proportion of pure substance in it is 99.4 percent. The result is a material of small thickness and weight, which does not contain any harmful additives and is absolutely safe.
Penofol has such a view from a very close distance.
Being practically incapable of absorbing thermal radiation, Penofol works on the principle of its reflection. In this, it differs from the vast majority of heat insulators, the layers of which delay the heat leaving the room. It should be noted that the word PENOFOL does not mean the type of insulation, but the name of the brand.
To understand how Penofol reflects heat, we recall how the Dewar flask works. This device, usually called the Dewar vessel, was invented by the Scot - a scientist in the field of physics and chemistry, James Dewar. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he conducted a series of experiments in the laboratory to check how the heat insulated by the walls of the vessel behaves. The same principle applies in all thermoses.
So, Dewar found out that any substance known to people has a certain value of resistance to heat transfer "R". And no matter how important this indicator is, no material can stop the transfer of heat. Perhaps only a slowdown in this process. In this case, the substance absorbs thermal waves, accumulating energy in itself. As soon as it is supersaturated with this energy, the reverse process will begin - heat generation.
But there are a number of materials that are not characterized by the absorption of thermal energy - they reflect it. These are, for example, precious metals such as platinum, silver and gold. And this ability has pure aluminum, well polished. The rays of thermal energy that reach the surface of such a material are reflected almost completely (98-99 percent). There is only one “but” - these substances conduct heat well. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement them with certain thermal barriers, for example, foamed polyethylene. It is capable of absorbing heat. Thus, the technical characteristics of Penofol combine both reflection and absorption of thermal rays.
Studies have been conducted for more than 40 years, and as a result it was found that both the loss of heat by the premises and its accumulation are directly related to the radiation of the infrared spectrum. But everything can be balanced if heat-insulating materials of the reflecting type are used, which are easily mounted and are very effective and inexpensive reflectors of infrared radiation.
People are gradually starting to get used to reflective materials. They are profitable and convenient, therefore, experts predict that gradually such heaters will occupy a leading position. When using them, the equipment wears out less, and the time and money spent on equipment for heating and air conditioning are significantly reduced.Working with reflected thermal energy is not an example easier than with absorbed.
Since the heat rays are reflected, in winter the heat loss from heating the floor, ceiling and walls will become much less. And with the use of double-sided reflective insulators in the summer, in the heat, there will also be no negative consequences of the absorption of thermal energy from outside.
Penofol Parameters
What is Penofol
Now there are a lot of materials under the PENOFOL brand. Perhaps it is worth listing those that are most in demand. Among them, one can distinguish the classic Penofol coated with aluminum falgum on one side only. Such Penofol has type "A".
Penofol foil on one side - type A.
Penofol in which foiling is performed on both sides is of type “B”. Penofol of both of these types is quite dense, and also resistant to physical exertion.
Foam foil on both sides - type B
Penofol type C belongs to the category of self-adhesive materials. In it, a polished aluminum coating is applied to a layer of foamed polyethylene, on the one hand, and on the other, a layer of moisture-resistant glue and a film that prevents adhesion of materials. This type of insulation is used where ordinary Penofol is not suitable or is too expensive, because for its fastening no additional devices are needed.
Self-adhesive Penofol - type C.
And there is Penofol, having perforation. It can also be single-sided or double-sided and is available not so long ago, but is used to insulate facades from the outside. Perforation allows moisture to escape from the material. In other words, walls insulated with such material can “breathe”.
About Penofol Thickness
The thicker the insulation, the more expensive it is. And the price and technical characteristics of foamed Penofol are affected by the number of layers of aluminum foil: there can be one or two. As for the thickness, its standard sizes: 10, 8, 5, 4 and 3 millimeters. It can be understood that a centimeter-thick material with a double layer of foil will be the most expensive. Incidentally, it not only stores heat better than anyone, but also protects it well from noise.
In terms of the optimal ratio of price and quality, Penofol 0.5 cm thick came out on top. If maximum thermal insulation is required, as well as protection against noise and moisture, it is better to opt for a centimeter layer of Penofol. As for the remaining parameters of the insulation, they also depend on the thickness of its layer, as well as on its type.
About Conductivity by Penofol Heat
Since this insulation is combined, combining heat reflection and absorption, it is difficult to compare it with traditional heat insulators. Penofol insulation helps to reduce convection due to a layer of foamed polyethylene, and the foil layer on the outside can reflect up to 97% of the heat rays. As a result, the isolation is complex.
And still, let's try to compare not the coefficient of thermal conductivity, but the heat transfer resistance of Penofol and other heaters. If we take this material with a thickness of 4 to 5 millimeters, coated on both sides with aluminum foil, then we get heat transfer resistance from 1.2 to 1.23 square meters-degrees Celsius per watt. To achieve the same result, the mineral wool layer should be no less than 8 or 8.5 centimeters. Data is calculated according to SNIP II-3-79.
About water absorption
Penofol hardly absorbs moisture, and no matter what humidity the air has on the street and indoors. This does not depend on the change of season or the change in temperature. This compares favorably with this insulation from most modern heat insulators.
About Penofol vapor permeability
The film for vapor barrier when using Penofol does not need to be laid. After all, its vapor permeability coefficient does not even reach 0.001 milligrams per meter-hour-Pascal. We can say that this insulation is an excellent barrier to evaporation.
Sound resistance
Speaking about the sound absorption of Penofol, we can call this number: 32 decibels. It is such a sound absorption that class “A” material has. It is not mounted inside the frame of a building structure, but on top of it, with no seams. Therefore, it allows you to protect yourself from different noises: from acoustic and structural ones. Such versatility is a definite plus.
Fire protection
This material, by standards, refers to substances that are difficult to burn and do not support combustion. SRI STROYFIZIKI Penofol issued a certificate of conformity, confirming that the material is not fire hazard. When fired from polyethylene, water and carbon dioxide are released. True, if oxygen is not enough, carbon monoxide may also appear.
Service life and safety
One of the most environmentally friendly material is polyethylene foam. Therefore, it is he who underlies Penofol. By the way, in terms of durability (200 years), this substance can be given the highest score. Along the way, and from the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation will be able to protect themselves. They can be reduced by two, or even ten times.
Table of main technical properties
| Options | Type - A | Type - B | Type - C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicable at temperature0FROM | from - 60 to +100 | ||
| The coefficient of thermal reflection of the surface,% | 95 - 97 | ||
| Heat conductivity coefficient, in a dry state, at 20 ° С, no more. | 0,037 - 0,049 | 0,038 - 0,051 | 0,038 - 0,051 |
| Water absorption by volume,% | 0,7 | 0,6 | 0,35 |
| Vapor permeability, mg / m h Pa | 0,001 | ||
| The limit of compressive strength, MPa | 0,035 | ||
Where to use Penofol
Based on the foregoing, it can be understood that the Penofol insulation has simply universal specifications. And therefore, it can be used both for thermal insulation of light summer houses in summer cottages, and for warming high-rise buildings. Offices, production facilities, kindergartens, hospitals, saunas with baths can be isolated with this material. Warehouses with hangars, both warm and unheated, also insulate them. Stalls and modules for trade, temporary shelters and cold rooms can also be insulated with Penofol. And they also wrap pipes (water, ventilation and heating), isolate cars, vans and cars, shield heating batteries.
Penofol, which has a foil coating on both sides, will not only help to keep warm in frosty days. Stacked under the roof, it will not allow to get into the house in the scorching summer heat. So, for example, laying Penofol with double-sided foiling, having type “B” and a thickness of 5 millimeters, leaving two layers of air 2 centimeters each. The result is not long in coming: the thermal resistance of the structure will increase by 1.2 square meters-degrees Celsius per watt.
Penofol Disadvantages
Like other heat-insulating materials, Penofol is not without drawbacks, so we will consider what they are.
1. Foamed polyethylene, which is used as a base and acts as an absorbing thermal insulation, does not have sufficient rigidity. Therefore, it is not possible to plaster over it or use it for wallpapering. A little pressure is enough and the material bends.
2. Fixing the material to surfaces can also be difficult. To do this, most likely you will have to buy special adhesives. It is not advisable to use various devices that pierce it for fastening, since the thermal insulation qualities of the material will deteriorate. The company is trying to eliminate this drawback, so Penofol with a self-adhesive surface was launched on the market.
3. No matter how wonderful the properties of foamed polyethylene are, the use of Penofol alone as the main thermal insulation of the external walls of buildings and structures is naturally not enough. In this case, it can be used as additional thermal insulation, which, first of all, will provide reflection of thermal energy. Here you already need to calculate everything in terms of money, because there are such types of insulation that contain reflective insulation and can be used as the main insulation.
