Sandwich panels are the cornerstone of any prefabricated construction. Among the several types, rock wool 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: Rock wool sandwich panels are fire resistant. In technical terms, rock wool panels are A-level and polyurethane panels are B1 Level. A level panel 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 rock wool sandwich panels.
3. Being Waterproof: When it comes to being waterproof, polyurethane is again better than rock wool.
4. Density: The density of rock wool is usually around 120kg/m3, and the density of polyurethane is generally 40 kg/m3.
5. Sound absorption properties: Rock wool sandwich panels are known for their excellent sound absorbing properties. This attribute lends rock wool a higher score over polyurethane as it can absorb a wide range of sounds with a particular range.
Rock wool 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. Rock wool 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 rock wool. 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 manufacturer of rock wool and Polyurethane Foam (PUF) panels with complete customization done as per requirements. Energy saving buildings are the need of the hour and is soaring in demand.
