Insulation element

Abstract

Insulation element (1) for insertion into a stud frame or for application to a facade, characterized in that the insulation element (1) comprises several vacuum insulation panels (2) arranged either parallel to one another or one above the other, each comprising a powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material (3) enclosed on all sides by at least one gas- and watertight covering film (4) and evacuated, wherein the several vacuum insulation panels (2) are enclosed on all sides by a coating (5) comprising a polymer matrix (6) and at least one solid material (7) contained therein, wherein the polymer matrix (6) is formed from a casting resin comprising resin and hardener, with which the at least one solid material (7) is mixed and uniformly embedded therein, wherein the several vacuum insulation panels (2) are cast into the material of the coating (5).where the pouring is done in a negative mold.

Description

The present invention relates to an insulating element for insertion into a stud frame structure or for application to a facade. Vacuum insulation panels are used as vacuum insulation in the construction industry and as vacuum insulation in refrigeration technology as well as in transport and storage containers. A vacuum insulation panel is a powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material completely enclosed on all sides by a gas- and watertight outer film and evacuated. Such a vacuum insulation panel consists, for example, of a powdery inner material, preferably silica, which is pressed into a panel and completely encased on all sides by the outer film, such as an aluminum-plastic composite film, with this assembly being vacuum-sealed. Optionally, the powder is encased in a microporous, non-woven material before pressing. The outer film is welded at its edges. A vacuum insulation panel is a high-performance insulating element that has low thermal conductivity and sufficient mechanical stability. Common vacuum insulation panels have the disadvantage that the outer film can easily tear or be damaged by sharp objects, allowing the vacuum inside to escape. This results in an increase in the thermal conductivity of the affected vacuum insulation panel. Due to their high mechanical fragility, transport, installation, and especially fastening of these panels often require very elaborate protective measures, which are associated with increased time and additional material usage. However, especially in the construction sector, with the standard work processes used with currently available vacuum insulation panels, it is almost unavoidable that approximately 30 to 40% of the vacuum insulation panels will need to be replaced before the completion of a given construction project. Since vacuum insulation panels are relatively expensive, this approach is hardly feasible, particularly for private construction projects. Another disadvantage of well-known vacuum insulation panels is that the welded joints, in particular, become unstable after just a few years. The welds are only resistant up to a maximum temperature of 80 to 100 °C. In practice, it has been shown that the welds can come loose, for example, under strong sunlight. This compromises the vacuum originally created within the vacuum insulation panel, thus impairing its insulating properties. If a pure plastic film is used as the outer layer of a vacuum insulation panel, it is subject to above-average aging, especially under strong temperature fluctuations, which makes it brittle and leaky, causes the vacuum insulation panel to draw in air and gradually lose its thermal insulation effect. To solve the problem of the easy mechanical damageability of vacuum insulation panels, the German patent application DE 43 39 435 C2 proposes to insert a vacuum insulation panel between two insulating glass panes with a gas-tight edge seal and to evacuate the cavity remaining in between. To increase the aging resistance of vacuum insulation panels, German patent application DE 10 2010 010 493 B3 proposes a thermal insulation system for buildings in which a glass pane is provided on each side of a vacuum insulation panel. The glass panes are held apart by a spacer running around the edge of the glass panes, which is positively connected to them. Additionally, one of the glass panes is mechanically spaced and thermally decoupled from the vacuum insulation panel by a fabric, nonwoven fabric, fleece, knitted fabric, or film. However, such vacuum insulation panels with glass panes are only suitable for very specific applications, are heavy, unwieldy, not shatterproof and also very expensive. The task is therefore to provide an insulation element that has the advantages of a vacuum insulation panel, whose insulation properties are maintained even under harsh installation and environmental conditions over a long period of time, while the insulation element is versatile, lightweight and break-resistant and can be offered at reasonable prices. This problem is solved by an insulation element for insertion into a stud frame or for application to a facade, wherein the insulation element comprises several vacuum insulation panels, either lying side by side or arranged one above the other, each comprising a powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material completely enclosed and evacuated by at least one gas- and watertight covering film, wherein the several vacuum insulation panels are completely enclosed by a coating comprising a polymer matrix and at least one solid material contained therein, wherein the polymer matrix is ​​formed from a casting resin comprising resin and hardener, with which the at least one solid material is mixed and uniformly embedded therein, wherein the several vacuum insulation panels are cast into the coating material, the casting being carried out in a negative mold. The vacuum insulation panels are embedded in the coating material. This embedding takes place in a negative mold. Several vacuum insulation panels, either laid flat next to each other or arranged one above the other, are encased in the coating. The insulation element according to the invention is an insulation panel that can be used in the same way as a conventional vacuum insulation panel and in the same application areas, but possesses significantly better properties. In particular, the insulation element according to the invention is suitable for integration into a wide variety of constructions, such as for insertion into a stud frame or for application to a facade. It is also possible to use the insulation element according to the invention not only in the construction industry, but also, for example, in vehicle manufacturing, in the construction of refrigerated or transport containers, or for the construction of cold storage facilities. The coating according to the invention provides the vacuum insulation panels with a complete protective covering, which primarily protects the vacuum insulation panels from mechanical influences. The coating used according to the invention forms a polymer matrix reinforced with the solid material around the vacuum insulation panels. The polymer matrix is ​​composed of at least one polymer in which the at least one solid material is preferably uniformly distributed and embedded. The polymer matrix ensures the castability of the coating material and thus complete and easy encasing of the vacuum insulation panels, regardless of their external dimensions. The inclusion of at least one solid material in the polymer matrix ensures high mechanical stability of the coating. This eliminates the need for complex measures to protect the insulation element from mechanical damage, for example during transport or processing. As a result, the insulation element according to the invention is significantly more practical than conventional high-performance insulation materials. The size and material of the particles of the solid filler material can be selected in the present invention such that the coating is particularly lightweight. Despite the fact that the resistance of the insulating element according to the invention is significantly increased compared to conventional vacuum insulation panels, the high insulation value of the vacuum insulation panels encased by the coating is maintained. The cured coating can even improve the insulating properties of the insulating element according to the invention compared to a simple vacuum insulation panel. The degree of this improvement depends on the thermal conductivity of the coating composition and its thickness. The insulation element according to the invention can be used immediately in a wide variety of applications, such as on a building or a cold storage room. The coating provided according to the invention, which acts as a diffusion-tight matrix around the vacuum insulation panels, also results in a significant increase in the service life of the insulation element compared to the vacuum insulation panels contained therein. The cured coating thus forms a protective layer of considerable resistance for the highly sensitive vacuum insulation panels. The cured coating guarantees very high resistance to mechanical damage and, depending on its composition, can also be largely moisture-resistant, water-resistant, and / or antibacterial. The hardened coating results in a high level of transport safety and stackability of the insulation elements designed according to the invention. The hardened coating also enables the processing of insulation elements designed according to the invention for the formation of sandwich components, since the insulation element designed according to the invention can be screwed and / or glued and / or pressed onto at least one other element without further ado and without damaging the vacuum insulation panels contained therein. The insulating element according to the invention eliminates the need for spacers recommended by manufacturers of vacuum insulation panels to create an air layer and the associated labor and material costs. The insulating element according to the invention can be used without further processing as an element for the production of an inner and / or an outer wall. Furthermore, the insulation element according to the invention is 100% recyclable and can, for example, be processed again as a solid material with a polymer matrix and vacuum insulation panels to create a new insulation element according to the invention, for example as granules. In the present invention, the materials for the formation of the polymer matrix and the solid material can be selected such that the coating formed therefrom acts as a flame retardant or self-extinguishing agent. Preferably, the polymer matrix is ​​formed from a casting resin comprising resin and hardener. If technically necessary, a thinner can be added to the resin-hardener mixture to improve flowability. In this embodiment of the invention, the casting resin consists of a two-component plastic comprising resin and hardener, to which a thinner can be added to ensure easier casting of the vacuum insulation panels. The at least one solid filler is mixed with the casting resin as a bulk additive. The type and quantity of the material used for the at least one solid filler are determined by the specific application. The thinner evaporates during the curing of the coating. In this embodiment of the invention, the insulating element is ready for use immediately after the polymer matrix has hardened, typically after about 1 hour. The resin can be, for example, polyurethane resin. Furthermore, many other curable resins can also be used. The use of a bio-resin, such as a bio-based epoxy resin, as the resin in the present invention is particularly sustainable. The latter can also be used together with a preferably bio-based hardener. It has proven particularly advantageous if at least one of the solid materials is a granulate. A specific range of granule sizes can be defined. The typically rounded shape of the granules ensures that the at least one solid material does not damage or even destroy the highly sensitive gas- and watertight outer film of the vacuum insulation panels located beneath the coating. Different materials or material combinations are suitable for at least one solid component. For example, at least one solid component can consist of wood chips and / or sawdust and / or expanded glass and / or expanded clay and / or at least one recycled material. These solid components ensure high mechanical stability of the coating while maintaining low weight. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one solid material comprises or consists of inorganic fibers. In this embodiment of the invention, the coating forms a polymer matrix with inorganic fiber reinforcement around the vacuum insulation panels. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 schematically shows an insulating element 1 in a sectional side view. The insulating element 1 has several vacuum insulation panels 2 inside it, with only one of the vacuum insulation panels 2 being shown in Fig. 1. The vacuum insulation panel 2 has a powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material 3 inside it. In the illustrated embodiment, the powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material 3 is silica powder pressed into a plate, but in other embodiments of the present invention it can also be made of another material with low thermal conductivity. In other embodiments of the present invention not shown, a shape-retaining material, such as a nonwoven fabric, can be provided around the powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material 3. The powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material 3 is completely encased by a covering film 4. If a shaping material is provided around the powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material 3, the covering film 4 encases the powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material 3 with the shaping material. In the illustrated embodiment, the covering film 4 is an aluminum-plastic composite film, but in other embodiments of the present invention, it can also be a metal foil, such as an aluminum foil, or a plastic film. The covering film 4 can have one or more layers. In the illustrated embodiment, the covering film 4 is welded at a weld point 41. The interior of the vacuum insulation panel 2 is evacuated. As a result, the outer film 4 lies firmly against the outside of the powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material 3 or against the mold-holding material enclosing the powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material 3. The vacuum insulation panels 2 are completely encased, that is, not only on the top and bottom, but also on the sides and without interruption, by a coating 5. The coating 5 has a polymer matrix 6 and a solid material 7 contained therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the polymer matrix 6 is formed from a cured casting resin composed of polyurethane, hardener and thinner, but in other embodiments of the invention it can also be formed from another curable polymer or without thinner. In the embodiment shown, the solid material 7 is a granulate of expanded clay, but can also be made of another, preferably granular, solid material.

Claims

Insulation element (1) for insertion into a stud frame or for application to a facade, characterized in that the insulation element (1) comprises several vacuum insulation panels (2) arranged either parallel to one another or one above the other, each comprising a powder- and / or fiber-containing thermal insulation material (3) enclosed on all sides by at least one gas- and watertight covering film (4) and evacuated, wherein the several vacuum insulation panels (2) are enclosed on all sides by a coating (5) comprising a polymer matrix (6) and at least one solid material (7) contained therein, wherein the polymer matrix (6) is formed from a casting resin comprising resin and hardener, with which the at least one solid material (7) is mixed and uniformly embedded therein, wherein the several vacuum insulation panels (2) are cast into the material of the coating (5).where the pouring is done in a negative mold. Insulation element according to claim 1, characterized in that the resin is polyurethane resin. Insulation element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one solid material (7) is a granulate. Insulation element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one solid material (7) is formed from wood chips and / or sawdust and / or expanded glass and / or expanded clay and / or at least one recycled material. Insulation element according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one solid material (7) comprises inorganic fibers.

Images