Expanded Polystyrene or EPS for short, is a lightweight, rigid, plastic foam insulation material produced from solid beads of polystyrene. A cost-effective, easy-to-use and process material, it performs as an acoustic and thermal insulator, is moisture resistant, recyclable and environmentally sound.

It is produced when pentane is dissolved in a polystyrene base material, which is then steam-heated to form EPS beads. Expansion is achieved by virtue of small amounts of pentane gas dissolved into the polystyrene base material during production. The gas expands under the action of heat, applied as steam, to form perfectly closed cells of EPS. These cells occupy approximately 40 times the volume of the original polystyrene bead.
The EPS beads are then moulded into appropriate forms suited to their application such as insulation boards, blocks or customised shapes for the building and packaging industry.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is among the biggest commodity polymers produced in the world. The total world demand in 2002 was around 3 million tons. EPS is used in many applications like thermal insulation board in buildings, lightweight fill in road building, packaging, cushioning of valuable goods and food packaging. Western Europe contributes with 27 percent to the global demand for EPS and is more than 800 kilotons in 2002. The corresponding value of this volume is approximately 3 billion Euro. The average annual growth is expected to be 2.5 percent per annum up to 2010.

Anyone who needs to thermally and acoustically insulate walls, roofs or floors will find EPS the ideal, cost-effective and easy-to-use material in all types of buildings, form houses and offices to factories and schools.

User benefits:

• Excellent thermal insulation

  EPS is 98 percent air, and is therefore and excellent thermal insulation material.

• Proven acoustic insulation

  EPS absorbs sound, both impact sound in floating floors and airborne sound for walls.

• Moisture resistant

  EPS resists degradation by water.

• Lifetime durability

  EPS does not decompose. It therefore provides lifetime application.

• Flexible mechanical properties

  With its flexible production process, the mechanical properties of EPS can be adjusted to suit every specified application.

• Versatile

  EPS can be manufactured in almost any shape or size, and is compatible with a wide variety of materials.

• Cost-effective

  EPS offers the best price/performance ratio compared to any other insulation material.

• Easy to transport

  EPS is almost as light as air, so it saves fuel in transport.

• Easy to install

  EPS is light, practical, safe an easy to handle and install.

• Fire retardant

  There are two grades: "standard EPS" and "self extinguishing" version that includes a fire retardant.

Environmental benefits:

• Extremely safe

  EPS is non-toxic and totally inert. It contains no Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or Hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and never has at any time during its life-cycle. It is also totally absent of any nutritional value, so no fungi or micro-organisms can grow within EPS.

• Recyclable

  EPS can be recycled in many ways once it comes to the end of its life. These include recycling directly into new building products and incineration to recover its inherent energy content. The choice of a recycling method is based on technical, environmental and economic considerations.

• Health Aspects

  EPS presents no dangers to health in installation and use. EPS doesn't scratch your hands nor does it irritate your skin or mucous membranes. Labour laws do not require gloves or masks to work with such a soft and solid material. EPS is biologically inert and doesn't produce any pathogenic dust, even on the long term. Thus EPS is safe for both installers and users.

• Fulfils all fire and safety requirements

  All EPS building applications, as promoted by the European EPS industry, fulfil local building regulations in every European country.

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Because of its excellent insulation and economic properties, EPS is used everywhere in the world.