2.  Blue extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam  Armaflex  Polyurethane foam

3.  For every insulation material, 300g of distilled water was placed in a glass beaker and heated to boil. Then the beaker was placed in the insulation material and left to be cold. The water was stirred with a magnetic stirrer, in order to remain homogenous. A digital data logger was used to measure the temperature every 10 sec.

4.  Starting temperature: 90 0 C.  Final temperature: 50 0 C.  Water mass: 300g.  Volume capacity of beaker: 500mL  Lab air temperature: 20 0 C  Temperatures sampling: Every 10 sec.  RPM of the stirrer: approximately 100 rpm.  Volume of insulation material: 6L  Vessel of the experiment.

5.  Polystyrene is an inexpensive and hard plastic, and probably only polyethylene is more common in your everyday life. The outside housing of the computer you are using now is probably made of polystyrene.  Model cars and airplanes are made from polystyrene, and it also is made in the form of foam packaging and insulation (StyrofoamTM is one brand of polystyrene foam). Clear plastic drinking cups are made of polystyrene.

6.  Armaflex is a closed cell, CFC free elastomeric nitrile, flexible foam insulation material made in tube and steel for insulating new or existing pipework, ducts and vessels.  The sheet can be obtained in continuous rolls to minimize wastage. A special self-adhesive tape is available for dealing with awkward areas.

7.  Polymer made by the reaction of polyols with a multi-functional isocyanate. Its molecular structure may cross-link and become a thermosetting plastic, or stay linear and remain thermoplastic.

9.  The best insulation material, for the temperature range 90 - 50°C, was the polyurethane foam. This material seems to have the lowest U (1.290 °C/min), followed by the extruded polystyrene (U = 1.320 °C/min). The less insulating material was Armaflex with U = 1.362 °C/min.  In the 90 - 50°C temperature range, the polyurethane foam and the Armaflex showed the same performance with U = 2.856 °C/min, followed by extruded polystyrene with U = 3.000 °C/min.  The best insulation material, for the temperature range 90 - 50°C, was the again the polyurethane foam. This material seems to have the lowest U (0.702 °C/min), followed by the extruded polystyrene (0.732 °C/min). The less insulating material was Armaflex with U = 0.798 °C/min.  Finally, the best isolation material for all the temperature ranges was the polyurethane foam. Extruded polystyrene seems to perform better when the temperature was relatively low, 60 to 50 °C, while Armaflex seems to perform better when the temperature was relatively high, 90 to 80 °C

10. Students: Askaridou Maria Kopsacheilis Nikos Kopsacheilis Nikos Chemistry teacher: Nalmpantis Konstantinos  http://pslc.ws/macrog/styrene.htm http://pslc.ws/macrog/styrene.htm  http://www.preforminsulations.co.uk/flexible-foam-insulation/armaflex.html http://www.preforminsulations.co.uk/flexible-foam-insulation/armaflex.html  http://www.specialchem4polymers.com/resources/glossary/index.aspx?id=P http://www.specialchem4polymers.com/resources/glossary/index.aspx?id=P