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There house of the future will be ecological: this is the trend presented to Restructura, the exhibition on sustainable construction which was held in Turin from 26 to 29 November 2009. Walking among the stands, one could not help but notice one in particular bearing the wording "AIPE".
L'Aipe (Italian Polystyrene Association Espanso) is a non-profit association, whose purpose is the promotion and protection of the image of synthesized expanded polystyrene (EPS) and involves more than 90 companies belonging to various sectors, from the production of thermal insulation sheets to the production of building and packaging products, from companies producing the same raw material to companies that manufacture EPS processing equipment. AIPE also deals with the collection and recycling of expanded polystyrene waste and is part of EUMEPS - European Manufacturers of Expanded Polystyrene - which brings together the manufacturers of EPS.
Synthesized expanded polystyrene is indispensable for eco-sustainable construction.
It is a rigid, very light, composite material from almost 98% air. It is produced following the polymerization of styrene which is a monomer obtained from petroleum, also present in many foods such as strawberries, coffee, wheat, and meat. From polymerization yes they obtain polystyrene beads which, when in contact with a gas (the pentane, gaseous hydrocarbon) and with water vapor, swell reaching of dimensions up to 50 times greater than the initial ones and constituting al inside them a closed cell structure that holds the air and makes of it consequently an excellent insulator with low thermal conductivity. For these reasons, EPS appears to be one of the most used materials in construction, both for construction of new buildings and for the renovation of existing buildings.
It must be emphasized that the cost of the material, as well as that of installation, is among the lowest.
Added to this are management costs not high at all.
EPS becomes a sustainable material by contributing to energy savings due to its excellent insulating qualities and reduced CO2 emissions, as evidenced by the LCA (material life cycle) studies that take into account of production, transport, use and management and recycling. In this regard it must be said that i costs storage and transport are significantly reduced due to the low weight, that the material is non-toxic, does not contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), it is permeable to vapor thus allowing transpiration and avoiding the formation of mold, and at the same time it is impermeable to water. It is also, as already mentioned recycled.
As an insulator, it finds applications in roofs a pitches and flat roofs, as a coat in the vertical walls from the outside, in the vertical walls in cavities and from the inside, in floors, ceilings and foundations. And what more could you ask for from a material? It can only be added that, in addition to the energy insulation of the building, it also ensures its acoustic insulation, following a mechanical treatment of compression which increases its dynamic stiffness, and which is used in the so-called "floating floor", useful for absorbing the noise of the trampling.