THERMAL PROPERTIES · REFERENCE
Building Insulation Sample Conductivities
Heat-flow-meter measurements of XPS, PIR, mineral wool and EPS control specimens in one study.
Applicability
These results are specific to the research specimens and conditions, not general design values for material or product categories. Formulation, density, temperature, moisture and aging can affect conductivity. Design requires data for the actual product and conditions, checked against applicable requirements. Do not interpolate or extrapolate these values to different conditions.
The paper reports a −10 °C cold plate and +10 °C hot plate, surrounding air at 20 °C and 50% relative humidity, and specimen dimensions 30.5 cm × 30.5 cm × 10 cm. It also lists a “sample temperature of 23 °C” without explaining its relation to the plate temperatures; 23 °C must not be treated as a confirmed mean test temperature. The paper also lists a pressure of 2 kPa without specifying its nature or what it applies to. Ambient relative humidity is not sample moisture content.
Control specimen measurements
| Specimen material | Mean conductivity of three readings W/(m·K) |
|---|---|
| Extruded polystyrene (XPS) | 0.03422 |
| Polyisocyanurate foam (PIR) | 0.02230 |
| Mineral wool | 0.03532 |
| Expanded polystyrene (EPS) | 0.03233 |
Lookup example
The XPS control specimen row reports a mean of three orientation readings of 0.03422 W/(m·K). This applies only to the specimen and stated conditions, not as a design value for all XPS products.
Method, source and license
The authors used a heat-flow meter and tested the control specimens after receiving the materials. Each specimen was tested three times, with the specimen flipped or rotated between tests. The three readings are not three independent specimens. The selected Table 5 reports means; specimen moisture content and measurement uncertainty are not specified for these selected data. Some individual readings in other source tables and a narrative statement are ambiguous; they are not used here.
Data source: Marta Pomada, Klaudia Kieruzel, Adam Ujma, Paweł Palutkiewicz, Tomasz Walasek and Janina Adamus, Analysis of Thermal Properties of Materials Used to Insulate External Walls, Materials 17(19), 4718 (2024), doi:10.3390/ma17194718. © 2024 the authors.
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). This site selected four control-group means, rearranged fields, converted specimen dimensions from metres to centimetres and translated labels; conductivity values are unchanged. Attribution does not imply endorsement of this site or any product by the authors or institutions. Data are provided under the original license without warranty.
For these research specimens only; not a substitute for product testing and design verification.