SIBUR begins selling self-extinguishing brands of expandable polystyrene

SIBUR is starting to actively conclude contracts with buyers for the supply of expandable polystyrene, which the company shall manufacture in accordance with the state-of-the-art Austro-Norwegian production technology SUNPOR.

The new facility, with a design capacity of 50 thousand tonnes per year, is located on the site of the CJSC «Sibur-Khimprom» and will be commissioned in late 2010. To date, work has been completed with respect to the installation of equipment, and test work is currently being conducted.

The products to be manufactured here are intended for producing a wide range of articles, including building insulation, permanent forms, and packaging for household appliances and for foodstuffs.

All brands of the expandable polystyrene will comply with strict European standards with respect to fire safety, particle-size composition, and density, as well as physical and mechanical characteristics. Those brands of expandable polystyrene which are intended for the manufacturing of thermal insulation will necessarily contain flame retardants*, capable of preventing the spread of fire.

The safety factor of expandable polystyrene, material that is of organic origin that is 98% comprised of air, directly depends on the strict compliance of building and other regulatory codes. When using thermal insulators made of expandable polystyrene, it is necessary to ensure that a thick air-tight layer of plaster is laid between the layer of material and the external environment (either in the building’s interior or its outside). In addition, to use expandable polystyrene-based products for thermal insulation, it must necessarily contain flame retardants that, in the case that fire touches it, it should not support its spread or the combustion of the material itself.

On the market for thermal insulation made of expandable polystyrene, there are two important issues. Firstly, there are a lot of substandard products on the market, which lack the required properties in terms of fire safety, density and other characteristics. Secondly, the insulation is often used by builders without complying with technical standards or even for other purposes (i.e. soundproofing or decorative elements). In this regard, SIBUR encourages industry associations, regulatory agencies, construction companies and citizens to closely monitor the compliance with the basic rules for the safe use of expandable polystyrene-based products in carrying out construction works.

For Editors

In EU countries, where there are sufficiently rigid fire and environmental standards, the annual per capita consumption of expandable polystyrene-based products can be as much as 5 kg, which permits saving up to 50–60% of the heat used. In Russia, the consumption of polystyrene foam insulation does not exceed 0.1 kg per person per annum.

* Flame retardants are substances or mixtures that are added to organic material in order to reduce its flammability.