A polyisocyanurate foam insulation product is produced from an isocyanate component, a polyol-containing component, and a blowing agent. The polyol-containing component includes a first polyol and a second polyol, a fire retardant, and one or more surfactants, wherein the first polyol and the second polyol have different hydroxyl numbers, or have different functionalities, or differ in both hydroxyl number and functionality. In some formulations, the polylol-containing component may include a fire retardant, a metallo-organinc compound, or combinations thereof. The cell size of the foam may be less than 120 microns. The polyol-containing component may include a mixture of polyols having different functionalities.

Composite walls have the structural components connected to form a substantially unitary structure. A composite wall is described that includes a block and/or brick wythe adhered to a poured concrete wall. The composite wall may also have a panel sheet material adhered to the poured concrete opposite surface of the poured concrete wall. Further, the composite wall may include a first wythe comprising concrete blocks, bricks, or a combination thereof, a poured concrete core, and a rigid insulation panel, wherein at least a portion of the blocks and/or bricks of the first wythe are adhered to a first surface of the concrete core and the rigid insulation panel is adhered to a second surface of the poured concrete core. Wire ties may extend from the mortar joints in the first wythe through the rigid insulation panel.

A heat-insulating housing (21) includes: a wall body; and an open-cell resin body (4) of thermosetting resin with which a heat-insulating space formed by the wall body is filled by integral foaming, the open-cell resin body including: a plurality of cells (47); a cell film portion (42); a cell skeleton portion (43); a first through-hole (44) formed so as to extend through the cell film portion; and a second through-hole (45) formed so as to extend through the cell skeleton portion, wherein the plurality of cells communicate with one another through the first through-hole and the second through-hole.

A polyisocyanurate foam insulation product is produced from an isocyanate component, a polyol-containing component, and a blowing agent. The polyol-containing component comprises one or more polyols, a fire retardant, and one or more surfactants, and the polyisocyanurate foam insulation product has an R-value per inch of at least 5.7 when measured at 40 F. In some formulations, the polylol-containing component may include a fire retardant, a metallo-organic compound, or combinations thereof. The cell size of the foam may be less than 120 microns. The polyol-containing component may include a mixture of polyols having different functionalities.

A vacuum heat-insulating material includes: an outer cover material; and a core material which is sealed in a tightly closed and decompressed state on the inside of the outer cover material. Outer cover material has gas barrier properties and satisfies at least one of a condition that a linear expansion coefficient is 8010.sup.5/ C. or lower when a static load is 0.05 N within a temperature range of 130 C. to 80 C., inclusive, a condition that an average value of a linear expansion coefficient is 6510.sup.5/ C. or higher when a static load is 0.4 N within a temperature range of 140 C. to 130 C., inclusive, a condition that an average value of a linear expansion coefficient is 2010.sup.5/ C. or higher when a static load is 0.4 N within a temperature range of 140 C. to 110 C., inclusive, and a condition that an average value of a linear expansion coefficient is 1310.sup.5/ C. or higher when a static load is 0.4 N within a temperature range of +50 C. to +65 C., inclusive.

A thermal isolator system may comprise a thermal isolator configured to be coupled to an inner wall of a wall system, and a first retainer comprising a first coupling protrusion having a first protrusion shape. The thermal isolator may comprise an isolator body spanning between an isolator outer surface and an isolator inner surface and between an isolator first side and an isolator second side, and a first coupling recess disposed through the isolator outer surface and into the isolator body. The first coupling recess may comprise a recess shape, and the first protrusion shape of the first coupling protrusion may be complementary to the recess shape of the first coupling recess. The first retainer may be configured to be coupled to the thermal isolator by the first coupling protrusion being disposed in the first coupling recess of the thermal isolator.

The present invention concerns a method of producing an insulation product comprising a board of porous insulation material wrapped in a gas-impermeable foil, said method comprising the steps of providing a succession of porous insulation material boards on a first conveyor apparatus and feeding the boards on a second conveyor apparatus; providing wrapping foil and wrapping said foil to form a tube around the boards on said second conveyor apparatus, flushing the boards with an insulating gas, and sealing the wrapping foil at the ends of each board transverse to the direction of travel of the second conveyor apparatus.

A continuous process for preparing insulation panels having thick (0.2 mm to 1 mm) metal facing panels and a fiber-reinforced polymer foam core is disclosed. In the process, a bottom metal facing panel is continuously supplied. A mat of reinforcing fibers and a foamable resin composition are applied to the bottom facing panel. A flexible barrier layer is applied atop the foamable resin composition, and the assembly is passed through nip rolls to compress the assembly and force the resin composition into the fiber mat. An adhesive layer and top metallic facing layer are then applied on top of the flexible barrier layer, and the resulting assembly is gauged and cured by passing it through a double band laminator.

Instead of focusing solely on material insulation as a solution for energy efficiency, a wall construction, or other opaque structure of a building, can include a sequence of highly reflective insulation elements that block heat energy exchange across air spaces, combined with material insulation supporting a heat energy highly reflective surface of the highly reflective insulation element. A highly reflective insulation element is formed by enclosing an air space between surfaces, of which one or both of those surfaces is a heat energy highly reflective surface. The heat energy highly reflective surface can be provided by a layer applied to a material. In an opaque building structure, two or more such highly reflective insulation elements, using three or more heat energy highly reflective surfaces, and two or more air spaces, where the material supporting at least one of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces is a material insulator, can improve energy efficiency.

A heat-insulating housing (21) includes: a wall body; and an open-cell resin body (4) of thermosetting resin with which a heat-insulating space formed by the wall body is filled by integral foaming, the open-cell resin body including: a plurality of cells (47); a cell film portion (42); a cell skeleton portion (43); a first through-hole (44) formed so as to extend through the cell film portion; and a second through-hole (45) formed so as to extend through the cell skeleton portion, wherein the plurality of cells communicate with one another through the first through-hole and the second through-hole.