Most often the word "Styrofoam" is generically Choose this option for areas that need a good amount of strength and water resistance. The manufacturing process for EPS conventionally begins with the creation of small polystyrene beads. It is the white brittle material that is frequently used in shipping to protect the goods inside. between Expanded Polystyrene Foam and STYROFOAM Brand Foam?" Polystyrene vs. Polyurethane Garage Door Insulation. Polystyrene and the other rigid insulation products are primarily used in wet applications such as the inside/outside of basement walls and floors. Styrofoam. We do not implement these annoying types of ads! The trademarked term is used generically although it is a different material from the extruded polystyrene used for Styrofoam insulation. beads with steam and pressure to bond the beads together to form blocks many other shapes. We don't have any banner, Flash, animation, obnoxious sound, or popup ad. Fiberglass is the less expensive choice for wall insulation and is the simplest to install, which makes it an ideal choice for homes in four-season climates. coffee cups, cooler and other foam packaging materials, none of which Rigid foam: These are panels of rigid foam, sold in 4-by-8-foot sheets in a variety of thicknesses from 1/4 to 2 inches.It is also sold in large bundled panels, joined at the ends accordion-style for use as an exterior sheathing material. Please add askdifference.com to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software. construction industry. times, people are looking for expanded polystyrene foam products, but TYPE OF FOAM. insulation and void fill. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics, the scale of its production being several million tonnes per year. Choose rigid insulation wisely, and consider the effect its characteristics will have on the performance of the your project, overall product cost, and the best way to get the bang for your buck. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid and tough, closed-cell foam with a normal density range of 11 to 32 kg/m 3. The higher the R-Value, the greater the insulating power. Use either extruded polystyrene (XPS) such as Styrofoam or Foamular or expanded polystyrene/EPS, sometimes called “beadboard.” EPS is less expensive and rates about R-4 per inch vs. R-5 for EPS . market today are available in sheets, blocks, balls, spheres, cones and Some products have reinforced facing to make them sturdier. As a thermoplastic polymer, polystyrene is in a solid (glassy) state at room temperature but flows if heated above about 100 °C, its glass transition temperature. Some Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Insulation is a rigid closed cell plastic foam that is comprised of hollow, spherical beads that are fused together using steam. There are many ways to insulate, including rigid foam insulation, spray foam insulation, fiberglass batt insulation, blown in cellulose insulation, and more. Expanded polystyrene foam, such as is used in cups and packaging. These Both types of foam need to be covered by drywall or another code-approved fire barrier. extruded polystyrene building products used primarily in construction Polyisocyanurate is another option, coming … right for your project?" Polystyrene . Safety Issues Many believe that fiberglass insulation is in itself a hazardous material, citing the fact that it had been found by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as "possibly carcinogenic" in 1988. Use Current Location. Brands & Products. Additionally, EPS is usually present in structured insulated panels. As we said, Styrofoam™ is a Dow trade, blue in color, and is an extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam made for thermal insulation, construction and craft applications. Get Pricing and Availability. This foam board insulation is available with straight or tongue-and-groove edges to help limit air movement. This trademark covers a full range of This standard provides a key quality check on rigid insulation. Expanded, or Styrofoam insulation, is a budget-friendly option, while extruded insulation has great water resistance and is ideal for use in areas like crawl spaces. One method to insulate a building is by installing 50 to 152 mm (2 to 6 in.) EPS is also used in the construction industry for Styrofoam™ Brand Insulation is the original extruded polystyrene foam insulation. This foam board insulation is the rigid pink or blue panels that can be found at home centers in many different thicknesses. industry name for the white rigid material made by expanding polystyrene Roof Area Calculator for Cathedral Ceilings. Here are the typical applications for each type of insulation: Rigid Foam - Outside walls of homes and below grade. Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board" manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrier. Rigid foam insulation uses one of three materials: high-quality, green-friendly polyisocyanurate; extruded polystyrene; or expanded polystyrene. STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow. It provides R-values that range from 3.6 to 4.2 per inch. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and rather brittle. compression strength is critical. This particular article focuses on two insulation types that are popular in a variety of installations for the entire building envelope: EPS and XPS. STYROFOAM Brand Foam products, so the only question is, "Which one is It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapour and has a relatively low melting point. Extruded Polystyrene. You may actually be looking for an expanded polystyrene (EPS) product. Because EPS insulation is 98% air, it is chemically inert. Polystyrene is slow to biodegrade and is therefore a focus of controversy among environmentalists. STYROFOAM™ vs EPS What's the difference between EPS and STYROFOAM™? commonly used in construction applications where specific R-values and EPS - Expanded Polystyrene Foam Insulation Boards: Rated at R4 per inch; EPS foam insulation boards are more permeable to air and moisture than XPS, but it doesn't retain moisture to the same extent because of it's more closed cell structure and it's breathability which lets it dry out. The main difference between Styrofoam and Polystyrene is that the Styrofoam is a trademark for expanded polystyrene and Polystyrene is a polymer. Compatibility – XPS vs EPS Insulation. a polymer of styrene; a rigid transparent thermoplastic; "expanded polystyrene looks like a rigid white foam and is used as packing or insulation". It is often used in disposable coffee cups and coolers, and as cushioning material in packaging. Item #15358 Model #451156. A vinylic polymer of styrene, CH2CHphenyl. It is usually white and made of pre-expanded polystyrene beads. Polystyrene (left) is a synthetic aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene which is also known as Styrofoam. products for the floral, craft and special events industries. The best sound absorption rating, or NRC, I was able to find for polystyrene was 0.20. • Expanded Polystyrene. This temperature behaviour is exploited for extrusion (as in Styrofoam) and also for molding and vacuum forming, since it can be cast into molds with fine detail. completely different. We need money to operate the site, and almost all of it comes from our online advertising. 1-in x 4-ft x 8-ft Expanded Polystyrene Foam Board Insulation. • Extruded Polystyrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. Dow Chemical’s STYROFOAM Brand Foam also covers a full range of foam Expanded Polystyrene (EPS): Ultimate Guide on Foam Insulation Material For several years, expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been utilized as a material of choice in several food packaging applications, cost-effective and energy-efficient insulation in construction applications as well as cushion transport packaging material for shock sensitive goods and many more. Most common foam products, like coolers, wine shippers, molded end caps and corners, box packaging and even cups at the office water cooler are actually polystyrene foam. This material is light blue in color and is owned and manufactured by The Dow Chemical Company.In the United States and Canada, the colloquial use of the word styrofoam refers to another material that is usually white in color and made of expanded (not extruded) polystyrene foam (EPS). STYROFOAM™ has never been used to hold food and for making beverage containers or coolers for the beach - STYROFOAM™ is actually a registered brand of the Dow Chemical company – with very few exceptions they color it light blue to differentiate it from EPS or expanded polystyrene foam, and it is a version of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam currently made for thermal insulation and craft … Uses include protective packaging (such as packing peanuts and CD and DVD cases), containers (such as "clamshells"), lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery and in the making of models. used to describe expanded polystyrene foam products like disposable Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer made from the monomer styrene. Most often the word "Styrofoam" is generically used to describe expanded polystyrene foam products like disposable coffee cups, cooler and other foam packaging materials, none of … All rights reserved. Additionally, it is moderately soluble in many organic solvents, cyanoacrylate, and the propellants and solvents of spray paint. An alkane chain of benzene molecules, RCH2CHphenylR. It is denser than EPS and provides more R-Value with a rating of 5 per inch of thickness. Polystyrene can be naturally transparent, but can be coloured with colourants. Owens Corning® FOAMULAR® XPS insulation is proven to hold its R-Value better than EPS – and even more so when water is present*, such as in below-grade applications. However, EPS insulation has proven to perform just as well in such situations. Also called Styrofoam insulation, this is the least expensive material. Polystyrene is pre-formed to the steel panels and is usually glued to both the front and back of the inside of the panel. mistakenly refer to them as STYROFOAM, even though the materials are These insulation panels are commonly referred to as "blue board" in the construction industry. Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board" manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and … Copyright © 2020 Universal Foam Products. FOAMULAR® XPS is the right insulation for a wide variety of exterior and … Comparing Fiberglass to Foam. This is a relatively simple project that can reap great benefits, but with the wide variety of approaches you can take to insulate your garage, how do you choose the one that is right for you? It becomes rigid again when cooled. The key difference between polystyrene and Styrofoam is that the polystyrene is a form of synthetic aromatic hydrocarbon polymer whereas the styrofoam is a commercial brand of polystyrene. STYROFOAM™ vs Polystyrene - What's the Difference? Rigid-foam insulation packs a lot of R-value into a thin package, but not all rigid foam performs the same. EPS is an expanded polystyrene available in various densities for insulation, construction and craft applications and … extruded polystyrene (xps) rigid foam insulation Owens Corning® FOAMULAR® 250 Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Rigid Foam Insulation is a closed cell, highly moisture-resistant rigid foam board well suited to meet the needs for a wide variety of residential and commercial construction applications. Definitions . At Universal Foam Products, we are experts and suppliers of EPS and It is increasingly abundant as a form of litter in the outdoor environment, particularly along shores and waterways, especially in its foam form, and also in increasing quantities in the Pacific Ocean. Owens Corning FOAMULAR C-200 Extruded Polystyrene Rigid Insulation - 24 Inch x 96 Inch x 1.5 Inch Ship Lap Edge . premium products the best known extruded polystyrene insulation on the OVERVIEW. EPS delivers more R-Value per dollar than other sheet insulation. Whether selecting EPS or XPS insulation, to ensure performance, confirm that the product was manufactured to meet the requirements of ASTM C578, Standard Specification for Rigid, Cellular Polystyrene Thermal Insulation. See the difference between STYROFOAM Brand Foam products and expanded polystyrene, which is often mistakenly referred to as Styrofoam. are actually polystyrene foam. EPS is also used in the construction industr… Owens Corning® FOAMULAR® extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation is a closed-cell, moisture-resistant rigid foam board with excellent long-term stable insulating performance and durability. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is the generic ADVERTISEMENT. The main difference between Styrofoam and Polystyrene is that the Styrofoam is a trademark for expanded polystyrene and Polystyrene is a polymer. univfoam.com. caps and corners, box packaging and even cups at the office water cooler for wall insulation, floor insulation, and roof insulation systems. 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