Kaneka achieved the world’s top-class thermal insulation performance with an extruded polystyrene foam insulation

Kaneka Corporation
November 6, 2017

Kaneka corporation (Osaka, Japan; President: Mamoru Kadokura) has developed an extruded polystyrene foam insulation*1 having the world’s top-class thermal insulation performance (thermal conductivity: 0.020W/mK), Kanelite Foam α. It will be available on market in spring, 2018.

Kaneka focused on radiation and conduction among three heat transfer elements (radiation, conduction, convection) that determine the thermal insulation performance and restrained heat transfer of Kanelite Foam α with unique technology such as high-density distribution of highly-insulating foaming agents, which has improved the thermal insulation performance of Kanelite Foam α by 10% compared with the conventional Kanelite Foam FX. *2

Kanelite Foam α can satisfy the energy saving standards for newly built houses which will be obliged in 2020*3, Net Zero Energy Housing (ZEH) standards*4 and standards of Investigation Committee of Hyper Enhanced Insulation and Advanced Technique for 2020 Houses (HEAT20) *5 without drastically increasing the thickness of thermal insulation materials.

We will contribute to meeting needs of reduction in energy consumption in houses and buildings with high-performance thermal insulation materials. We will also provide solutions creating energy saving, comfortable and healthy life by proposing a combination of our distinctive product groups including high-efficient solar batteries, see-through solar cells, condensers and OLED lighting.

1. It is specified in JIS A 9521 “Thermal insulation materials for buildings”.
2. Please see the table below, Major performance comparison.
3. Energy consumption performance standards specified in “Act on the improvement of energy consumption performance of buildings”.
4. Standards to make an annual balance of the primary energy consumption in houses zero or minus through high-thermal insulation, high-efficient energy saving equipment and use of renewable energy.
5. A committee that studied and published standards of the thermal insulation performance for houses where architecture, equipment and power generation are well balanced and coordinated, and proposed a thermal

Major performance comparison with the conventional grades of Kanelite Foam