BASF is First XPS Manufacturer to Get Approval for Contactless Welded Products

BASF SE has become the first extruded polystyrene (XPS) producer to receive a construction type approval for extruded foam boards welded in a contactless process.

The general technical approvals Z-23.31-2083 and Z-23.33-2084 pertain to Styrodu SQ in inverted roof and perimeter applications.

Under the brand name Styrodur 3000 SQ, products are sold with nominal thicknesses of 200, 240, and 300 mm, which are joined together in layers of three, four, or five to form a single board by means of contactless thermal welding applied across their whole surface.

These new products complete BASF’s recently fully updated range, which boasts a uniform declared lambda value of 0.033 W/(m·K) in all board thicknesses. The compressive stress characteristics of the new 3000 SQ types have also been improved further. This provides architects, planners, and homeowners with a leaner wall construction coupled with increased insulation performance. The permissible compressive stress over 50 years at < 2 percent deformation, tested in accordance with DIN EN 1606, has been increased from 110 to 130 kPa.

The compression-proof, water-repellent, and rot-proof Styrodur has protected homes from heat, cold, and moisture for more than 50 years. The green XPS is characterised by its reliable product quality as well as the continuous efforts to gain approvals. Today, Styrodur is the insulation material with the greatest number of officially approved uses in the German XPS market.

Insulation with Styrodur prolongs the lifespan of buildings, increases their value, and improves the living environment. The various Styrodur types, which contain air as the cell gas, differ mainly in their compressive strength.