What materials are used for filling sandwich panels?
Sandwich panels use polyurethane (PU), XPS, PET, PVC, and PP honeycomb as sandwich panel filler material. It can provide strong support and durability. They are widely used in building walls and partition panels. They are also used in refrigerated trucks, RVs, and commercial and residential buildings.
The current sandwich panels are made of fiberglass and foam. They perform better and have a wider range of uses than traditional materials like rock, wood, and concrete.
With sandwich panels, you can choose different filling materials. They each have different effects on density, strength, insulation, and durability.
What is a sandwich panel?
Sandwich panels are composed of three layers, consisting of 2 skin layers and 1 sandwich layer. Usually, the skin is made of thermosetting fiberglass, thermoplastic continuous fiber, and carbon fiber. The thermosets are laminated with a PU adhesive. They are generally flat and shaped. They usually excel in strength, impact resistance, and rigidity.
what is the filling material of the sandwich panel?
The filling material of the sandwich panel consists of foam-based PU, XPS, PET, PVC, PP honeycomb, EPS, PIR, and mineral wool.
PU:
PU is also called polyurethane foam; it is a kind of thermal insulation foam material with extremely low thermal conductivity. It is very effective in stopping heat transfer and can be used in applications such as refrigeration and insulation. At the same time, PU can withstand certain external forces, and PU has fireproof performance. It has excellent performance in waterproofing and moisture-proofing.
XPS (Extruded Polystyrene).
XPS is a kind of closed cell foam; it has low thermal conductivity like PU, it can be insulated and provide thermal insulation. Its advantage is that it is over 99% closed cell. It can effectively prevent moisture from entering. Its waterproof performance is very good. It has a lower cost and very good performance.
PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
PET is a foam material. It has good properties and resistance. It is not easily corroded. It is a recyclable material. It can be recycled, which supports environmental protection. This greatly reduces environmental impact. PET’s thermal insulation effect is also very good; PET is an excellent foam material.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
PVC is the most common filler for sandwich panels. It is low-cost and performs well. But, its thermal insulation is much lower than that of XPS and PU. Its stability is very good, though. It is a very smart choice for wall panels.
PP honeycomb
PP honeycomb is a lightweight foam filler. Honeycomb makes it stronger and less prone to deformation. The hollow center reduces weight and resists corrosion. And suitable for long-term use.
EPS.
EPS (polystyrene foam) core is a cheap filler. It has good insulation. But it is flammable and weak under pressure. So it is very cheap.
PIR.
PIR (polyurethane-modified polyisocyanurate) has low thermal conductivity, better thermal insulation performance, and excellent fire resistance.
Mineral Wool: Mineral wool is an inorganic fiber material.
Mineral wool is an inorganic fiber material with good fire resistance, sound absorption, and noise reduction. It has good fire performance.
sandwich panel insulation, choose which core?
The choice of insulation for sandwich panels depends on the area of use; whether you are using it for construction, refrigerated trucks, dry vans, mobile trailers, RVs, or flooring and wall panels, you need to know the location of the need.
If you’re using it for exterior walls, you’ll want to use a barrier foam core that is both insulating and strong.
For refrigerated trucks, a foam core with good insulation properties and stability is required.
When choosing foam core for sandwich panels, you need to consider density, size, fire rating, γ-value, acoustic performance, etc.
the life of the sandwich panel.
The lifespan of sandwich panels is generally 10 to 30 years, depending on the environment and use; generally speaking, the sandwich panels are designed with actual strength and lifespan.
Many factors affect the lifespan of sandwich panels. These include ultraviolet radiation, temperature changes, and strong pressure. The panels’ life also depends on chemical and physical effects. The impact of chemical and physical influences means that sandwich panels must be designed to take into account the environment and loads. However, sandwich panels are still very durable, such as fiberglass foam sandwich panels, which are very popular in any field.
the number of layers of sandwich panels.
Sandwich panels generally consist of three layers, which are the inner panel, outer and core layer.
Application areas
Sandwich panels are used in a wide range of applications, and we at Composite Box are a company that specializes in the use of sandwich panels.
Sandwich panels are mainly used in refrigerated box truck bodies, RV bodies, cold storage, prefabricated houses, industrial buildings, external wall panels, partition walls, ceilings, and other applications.
