THERMAL INSULATION PANEL

Abstract

A thermal insulation panel including a thermal insulation layer formed by a hardened cementitious foam; and at least one reinforcing structural element which is secured to the thermal insulation layer, the at least one reinforcing structural element being apertured and flexible.

Claims

1. A thermal insulation panel, comprising: a thermal insulation layer formed by a hardened cementitious foam; and at least one reinforcing structural element which is secured to the thermal insulation layer, the at least one reinforcing structural element being apertured and flexible, the hardened cementitious foam being obtained by hardening of a cementitious composition comprising at least one hydraulic binder, at least one adjuvant, water and an aqueous foam.

2. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element is at least partly integrated into the hardened cementitious foam.

3. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element is completely integrated into the hardened cementitious foam.

4. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element forms an outer face of the thermal insulation panel.

5. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element comprises at least one flexible textile structure including textile threads.

6. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 5, wherein the at least one flexible textile structure is a textile mesh or a fabric.

7. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 5, wherein the textile threads of the at least one flexible textile structure include glass threads.

8. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 5, wherein the at least one flexible textile structure includes a binding coating covering and connecting the textile threads of the at least one flexible textile structure.

9. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 5, wherein the textile threads of the at least one flexible textile structure are woven.

10. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the hardened cementitious foam has a thermal conductivity comprised between 0.02 and 0.06 W/m.Math.K.

11. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the hardened cementitious foam has a volumetric mass comprised between 50 and 200 Kg/m.sup.3.

12. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the cementitious composition further comprises fibers.

13. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one hydraulic binder includes at least one cement selected from a Portland cement, an aluminous cement, a sulphoaluminous cement and/or a quick-setting natural cement.

14. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element includes a first reinforcing structural element a first outer face of the thermal insulation panel and a second reinforcing structural element forming a second outer face of the thermal insulation panel, the first and second structural reinforcement elements being arranged on either side of the thermal insulation layer.

15. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 14, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element further includes an intermediate reinforcing structural element integrated into the hardened cementitious foam and arranged between the first and second reinforcing structural elements.

16. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the cementitious composition further comprises at least one water-reducing agent.

17. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the cementitious composition comprises, for 1 m.sup.3 of cementitious composition, 50 to 130 kg of hydraulic binder, 0.1 to 5% of dry extract of adjuvant relative to a weight of hydraulic binder, 0 to 2 kg of fibers, 25 to 50% of water relative to the weight of hydraulic binder, 0 to 0.3% of dry extract of water-reducing agent relative to the weight of hydraulic binder and the remainder consisting of an aqueous foam.

18. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 2, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element is completely integrated into the hardened cementitious foam.

19. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 2, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element forms an outer face of the thermal insulation panel.

20. The thermal insulation panel according to claim 2, wherein the at least one reinforcing structural element comprises at least one flexible textile structure including textile threads.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0098] Anyway, the invention will be clearly understood from the following description with reference to the appended schematic drawings representing, as a non-limiting example, an embodiment of this thermal insulation panel.

[0099] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thermal insulation panel according to the invention.

[0100] FIG. 2 is a front view of the thermal insulation panel of FIG. 1.

[0101] FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the thermal insulation panel of FIG. 1.

[0102] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a reinforcing structural element of the thermal insulation panel of FIG. 1.

[0103] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the evolution of the force applied on a test body as a function of the deformation of the latter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0104] FIGS. 1 to 3 represent a thermal insulation panel 2 adapted to provide external thermal insulation (ETI) of a building, such as for example an individual dwelling, a collective dwelling, an office building, an agricultural or semi-agricultural building. The thermal insulation panel 2 may be used to achieve insulation of a new building and renovate an old building.

[0105] The thermal insulation panel 2 advantageously has a generally rectangular shape. For example, the thermal insulation panel 2 may have a thickness smaller than or equal to 0.4 m, a width smaller than or equal to 0.6 m, and a length smaller than or equal to 1.2 m.

[0106] The thermal insulation panel 2 comprises a thermal insulation layer 3 formed by a hardened cementitious foam. The cementitious foam advantageously has a thermal conductivity comprised between 0.03 and 0.06 W/m.Math.K, and a volumetric mass comprised between 50 and 200 Kg/m.sup.3.

[0107] The cementitious foam is formed by hardening of a cementitious composition comprising a hydraulic binder, at least one adjuvant, water, fibers and an aqueous foam.

[0108] The hydraulic binder preferably includes at least one cement selected from a Portland cement, an aluminous cement, a sulphoaluminous cement and/or a quick-setting natural cement, and the aqueous foam is advantageously obtained by a mixture of gas bubbles in an aqueous solution which includes for example water and at least one surfactant compound.

[0109] According to an embodiment of the invention, the cementitious composition comprises at least one adjuvant selected from a rheological agent, a water-retaining agent, an air-entraining agent, a thickening agent, a biocide and/or fungicide agent, a water-repellent agent, a dispersing agent, an accelerator, a retarder and an agent for setting and/or hardening the cementitious composition, and the fibers are selected from fibers improving the rheological properties of the cementitious composition and/or fibers improving the mechanical properties of the cementitious composition, and for example glass fibers.

[0110] According to an embodiment of the invention, the cementitious composition comprises, for 1 m.sup.3 of cementitious composition, 30 to 150 kg of hydraulic binder, 5 to 20 kg of adjuvant, 0 to 2 kg of fibers (and for example 0 to 1 kg of fibers), 15 to 75 kg of water and the remainder consisting of an aqueous foam (also denoted aqueous foam q.s.).

[0111] The thermal insulation panel 2 further comprises several reinforcing structural elements 4 which are secured to the thermal insulation layer 3.

[0112] According to the embodiment represented in the figures, the thermal insulation panel 2 comprises a first reinforcing structural element 4.1 forming a first outer face of the thermal insulation panel 2 and a second reinforcing structural element 4.2 forming a second outer face of the thermal insulation panel 2. Thus, the first and second reinforcing structural elements 4.1, 4.2 are arranged on either side of the thermal insulation layer 3, and each has a two-dimensional shape.

[0113] The thermal insulation panel 2 further includes an integrated intermediate reinforcing structural element 4.3, and preferably completely integrated, into the cementitious foam and therefore disposed between the first and second reinforcing structural elements 4.1, 4.2. Advantageously, the intermediate reinforcing structural element 4.3 has a three-dimensional shape, and may have for example a plurality of undulations which may be concave and/or convex.

[0114] Each reinforcing structural element 4 more particularly comprises a flexible textile structure including textile threads which may be woven or simply superimposed and glued together. Each flexible textile structure may have for example a thickness comprised between 300 and 990 μm, and a mass comprised between 100 and 250 g/m.sup.2.

[0115] Each flexible textile structure may be formed for example by a textile mesh or by a fabric. However, according to a variant of the invention, each flexible textile structure could be formed by a multilayer textile complex which could for example include at least one textile mesh and one fabric.

[0116] According to an embodiment of the invention, the textile threads of each flexible textile structure include warp threads and weft threads, and the warp threads and the weft threads of each flexible textile structure are composed of glass threads, and for example of silionne threads (registered trademark). The warp threads and the weft threads of each flexible textile structure may be composed of identical glass threads, i.e. made of the same material and having identical counts. The warp threads and the weft threads of each flexible textile structure may in particular have a count of 68 tex.

[0117] According to another embodiment of the invention, each warp thread of a flexible textile structure may have a count different from that of each weft thread of said flexible textile structure. Thus, each weft thread of a flexible textile structure may have for example a count corresponding to twice the count of each warp thread of said flexible textile structure. Each flexible textile structure may in particular be formed of warp threads having a count of 68 tex and of weft threads having a count of 136 tex, or warp threads having a count of 136 tex and weft threads having a count of 272 tex or warp yarns having a count of 272 tex and weft threads having a count of 544 tex.

[0118] Advantageously, each flexible textile structure further includes a binding coating covering and connecting the textile threads, and for example the warp threads and the weft threads, of said flexible textile structure. The binding coating of each flexible textile structure is more particularly configured to glue the warp threads and the respective weft threads together. The binding coating of each flexible textile structure may be made for example of PVC or EVA.

[0119] According to an embodiment of the invention, each warp thread of each flexible textile structure has a strength comprised between 90 and 250 daN/5 cm, and each weft thread of each flexible textile structure has a strength comprised between 90 and 250 daN/5 cm.

[0120] According to an embodiment of the invention, each warp thread of each flexible textile structure has an elongation at break comprised between about 4 and 5%, and each weft thread of each flexible textile structure also has an elongation at break comprised between 4 and 5%.

[0121] The table replicated below indicates different characteristics of five different flexible textile structures that may be used to form the different reinforcing structural elements 4.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Resitance Elongation (DaN/5 cm) (%) Warp Weft Weight Thickness Binding Warp Weft Warp Weft Contexture thread thread (g/m.sup.3) (μm) coating thread thread thread thread 2 × 2S Silionne Silionne 205 600 PVC 240 240 5 5 136 tex 272 tex 1 × 0.5S Silionne Silionne 195 850 PVC 220 145 4.5 4.5 272 tex 544 tex 1 × 1S Silionne Silionne 225 850 PVC 240 250 5 5.2 272 tex 544 tex 5 × 3S Silionne Silionne 135 350 PVC 150 170 4.5 4.5 68 tex 136 tex 3 × 3D Silionne Silionne 115 570 EVA 90 90 4 4 68 tex 68 tex

[0122] The different silionne threads (registered trademark) mentioned in the table replicated above are advantageously made of E glass.

[0123] According to another embodiment of the invention, each flexible textile structure may include at least two sheets of warp threads between which is interposed at least one sheet of weft threads, the warp threads and the weft threads being connected together at their intersections by the corresponding binding coating.

[0124] The thermal insulation panel 2 according to the present invention may be fastened to a wall in different ways, and for example according to a glued and wedged-anchored set-up. After fastening of the thermal insulation panel 2, the latter is advantageously covered with a finishing coating, such as a layer of plaster which is deposited on the visible outer face of the thermal insulation panel 2. The finishing coating may also be fastened to the wall so as to cover the thermal insulation panel 2 and form a ventilated facade.

Example 1: Composition of the Cementitious Foam

[0125] The thermal insulation layer 3 may be formed for example by a cementitious foam composed of a hydraulic binder up to 200 kg/m.sup.3, an adjuvant up to 5 kg/m.sup.3, water up to 100 kg/m.sup.3, a foaming agent up to 2.5 kg/m.sup.3 and aqueous foam up to 830 l/m.sup.3. After hardening, the cementitious foam has a volumetric mass of 240 kg/m.sup.3.

Example 2: Incorporation of a Flexible Textile Structure into the Cementitious Foam

[0126] Making of Two Test Bodies:

[0127] A first test body (CE1) is made from a cementitious foam as described in example 1 without incorporating a flexible textile structure into the cementitious foam. A second test body (CE2) is made by integrating a flexible textile mesh with a 2×2S contexture at mid-height in a cementitious foam as described in example 1 before hardening of said cementitious foam. The first and second test bodies have the same dimensions, namely: 60×60×10 cm.

[0128] Mechanical Characterization:

[0129] After 28 days of curing, the first and second test bodies are characterized by punching using a support surface of 15×15 cm. For the test, the first and second test bodies are placed on a 50×50 cm frame. The obtained results are reported in FIG. 5.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 5, the integration of a flexible textile structure in the cementitious foam has allowed the increase of the mechanical properties of the hardened cementitious foam. In particular, the maximum force has been multiplied by two, as the recovery capacity due to the flexible textile structure.

Example 3: Complementary Compositions

[0131] It is possible to extend the integration of flexible textile structure to other cementitious foam compositions such as: [0132] a cementitious foam composed of a hydraulic binder up to 110 kg/m.sup.3, an adjuvant up to 5 kg/m.sup.3, water up to 65 kg/m.sup.3, a foaming agent up to 2.5 kg/m.sup.3 and an aqueous foam up to 900l/m.sup.3. After hardening, the cementitious foam has a volumetric mass of 130 kg/m.sup.3; [0133] a cementitious foam composed of a hydraulic binder up to 50 kg/m.sup.3, an adjuvant up to 5-20 kg/m.sup.3, water up to 25 kg/m.sup.3, a foaming agent up to 2.5 kg/m.sup.3 and an aqueous foam up to 900 l/m.sup.3. After hardening, the cementitious foam has a volumetric mass of 70 kg/m.sup.3; [0134] a cementitious foam composed of a hydraulic binder up to 110 kg/m.sup.3, an adjuvant up to 5 kg/m.sup.3, water up to 55 kg/m.sup.3, a foaming agent up to 2.5 kg/m.sup.3 and an aqueous foam up to 900l/m.sup.3. After hardening, the cementitious foam has a volumetric mass of 130 kg/m.sup.3; [0135] a cementitious foam composed of a hydraulic binder up to 50 kg/m.sup.3, a liquid adjuvant (with a dry extract of 30%) up to 5-8 kg/m.sup.3, water up to 25 kg/m.sup.3, a foaming agent up to 2.5 kg/m.sup.3 and an aqueous foam up to 900 l/m.sup.3. After hardening, the cementitious foam has a volumetric mass of 70 kg/m.sup.3.

Example 4: Complementary Composition

[0136] It is possible to extend the integration of flexible textile structure into a cementitious foam composed of a hydraulic binder up to 60 kg/m.sup.3, a stabilizing adjuvant, in aqueous form, up to 1 kg/m.sup.3 (i.e. 0.3 kg/m.sup.3 of dry extract of stabilizing adjuvant), water up to 18 kg/m.sup.3, a water-reducing agent, in aqueous form, up to 0.3 kg/m.sup.3 (i.e. 0.1 kg/m.sup.3 of dry extract of water-reducing agent), a foaming agent up to 1.1 kg/m.sup.3, and an aqueous foam up to 50 kg/m.sup.3.

[0137] As goes without saying, the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of this thermal insulation panel, described above as example, but in the contrary it encompasses all variants thereof. Thus, in particular, the thermal insulation panel according to the invention could also be used in particular to achieve internal thermal insulation (ITI).