ROCKWOOL VS PU SANDWICH PANELS – A BRIEF COMPARISON
Sandwich panels are the cornerstone of any prefabricated construction. Among the several types, rockwool has seen a surge in demand in recent times. PU (Polyurethane) sandwich panels too are one of the most sought after construction material in prefabrication. What are the key differences? This blog post lists out five of the differentiating points between these two panels.
1. Fire Resistance: Rockwool sandwich panels are fire resistant. In technical terms, rockwool panels are A-level and polyurethrane panels are B1 Level. A level panels are those that use incombustible building materials. B1 level are those which use flame retardant materials. In case of fire, flame retardant materials does not allow the fire to spread easily, once the fire source is removed.
2. Thermal Insulation Properties: In terms of insulation, polyurethane sandwich panels score higher than rockwool sandwich panels.
3. Being Waterproof: When it comes to being waterproof, polyurethane is again better than rock wool.
4. Density: The density of rockwool is usually around 120kg/m3, and the density of polyurethane is generally 40 kg/m3.
5. Sound absorption properties: Rockwool sandwich panels are known for their excellent sound absorbing properties. This attribute lends rockwool a higher score over polyurethane as it can absorb a wide range of sounds with a particular range.
Rockwool sandwich panels have a thermal conductivity of 0.041-0.045. Its fire resistant and sound absorbing capabilities have garnered it sufficient popularity in the construction industry. It scores low over thermal insulation properties of PU panels and is relatively cheaper than polyurethane panels. Rockwool panels are mostly suitable for steel structure plant, air clean room ceiling, simple roofing or walls and so on.
Polyurethane panels on the other hand have thermal conductivity between 0.025-0.028. Thus, it has good thermal insulation, water resistance and much better stiffness as compared to rockwool. Also, it has higher bearing capacity which makes it suitable for clean room, factory, warehouse, commercial buildings, cold storage and similar applications.
The overall performance of both the panels depend on the application.
EPACK Prefab is the manufacturer of rockwool and Polyurethane Foam (PUF) panels with complete customisation done as per requirements. Energy saving buildings are the need of the hour and is soaring in demand. Contact them today.
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