Insulform's Polystyrene
Building Blocks

From sub zero temperatures as low as -40°C experienced in freezer insulation, to the high temperatures around 60°C occurring on hot water pipes, EPS provides efficient, cost effective insulation. In countless everyday situations EPS is widely used for its insulating ability. In the construction and food industries EPS is the first choice for insulation.

EPS has exceptional insulation properties, with a thermal resistance (R value) of 1.31 per 50mm of thickness for S class material, as defined by AS 1366 part 3: 1992. This makes it ideal for wall and under floor insulation and external cladding of buildings.

Because of its cellular structure EPS is dimensionally stable, and will not settle over time. EPS used and installed correctly does not deteriorate with age and as such is able to deliver constant R values for the life of the building.

The almost exclusive use of EPS as the insulation material for cool-stores and freezers is testament to its insulation ability in the most demanding of all insulation applications.

Equally, for the transport of chilled food such as fish, EPS is the ideal material for the boxes used in this application.

For more information on EPS, see New Zealand Plastic's  website

Conduction
Heat energy is transferred directly through a materials, in contact with each other, where a temperature difference exists. Heat transfer along a metal rod is a simple example of conduction.

Convection
Air, when heated, becomes less dense than the surrounding air and rises upwards. The denser and cooler air flows downwards. These air movements, known as convection currents, can occur in spaces between the framing members of ceilings or walls of buildings causing a significant amount of heat loss.

Radiation
Heat energy may be radiated across the air space and then be absorbed by another body. Radiant energy from the sun is an example, where this energy may be absorbed as heat by the human body.

An example of all three methods of heat flow occurs in the wall space of buildings. The following graphs demonstrate the effects of adding a reflective surface and of filling the air space with an insulation material such as EPS. Clearly, heat transfer by convection, a major component of heat flow, can be almost eliminated by the use of insulation.