Polyurethane Foam as a Thermal Insulation : A Critical Examination

Urethane or polyurethane foam is the second most widely used rigid plastic in the construction industry. One of its unique properties -- its high strength to weight ratio -- makes it the strongest of all the common foam plastics. It comes in a variety of forms: rigid or flexible, low or high density, open or closed celled. It is normally used in a rigid closed celled form for building insulation. Both factory-made board stock and spray-on types are being used more extensively as insulations in building construction. Urethane foam is an effective material but there are limitations that must be understood if it is to perform effectively. This Note has been prepared in an attempt to aid that understanding.La mousse d'ur\ue9thane ou de polyur\ue9thane est le deuxi\ue8me plastique rigide en importance dans l'industrie de la construction. Une de ses propri\ue9t\ue9s, la r\ue9sistance par rapport au poids, en fait la mousse plastique courante la plus r\ue9sistante. On peut se la procurer sous diff\ue9rentes formes: rigide ou flexible, basse ou haute densit\ue9, \ue0 cellules ouvertes ou ferm\ue9es. En g\ue9n\ue9ral, on utilise la forme rigide \ue0 cellules ferm\ue9es comme isolant en construction. Les panneaux fabriqu\ue9s en usine et le type vaporis\ue9 sont de plus en plus utilis\ue9s comme isolant dans la construction. La mousse d'ur\ue9thane est un mat\ue9riau dont on doit comprendre les limites si l'on veut qu'il agisse efficacement. La pr\ue9sente note doit faciliter cette compr\ue9hension.Aussi disponible en fran\ue7ais: La mousse de polyur\ue9 thane, un isolant thermique: Etude critiquePeer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye