Thermal Insulation for Container Houses

Common thermal insulation materials and methods for container houses include polyurethane foam layers, rock wool boards, polystyrene foam, glass wool sandwich panels, as well as improving thermal insulation through optimized structural design and the addition of temperature control equipment.

1. Application of Core Thermal Insulation Materials

   • Polyurethane Foam Layer: Filled with over 50mm of polyurethane foam material in the middle, it achieves efficient thermal insulation by blocking heat conduction, meeting the requirement of a heat transfer coefficient of ≤0.45W/(㎡·K) for residential container walls in the national 'Technical Standard for Steel Structure Integrated Houses'. Its thermal insulation efficiency is 1.8 times that of traditional brick-concrete walls.
   • Rock Wool Board and Glass Wool Sandwich Panel: Rock wool has Class A fire resistance and a low thermal conductivity coefficient, commonly used for wall panel filling; glass wool sandwich panels combine thermal insulation with fire resistance, and their bulk density must meet standards to ensure thermal insulation effects.
   • Polystyrene Foam: Black steel plates are compounded with polystyrene foam to form a new type of building material, enhancing thermal insulation performance by increasing foam thickness, suitable for cost-sensitive scenarios.

2. Structural Optimization Design

   • Three-Layer Key Structure: The outer layer uses anti-corrosion color steel plates to reflect sunlight, the middle layer is filled with thermal insulation materials, and the inner layer uses fire-resistant gypsum boards + moisture-proof films to synergistically control humidity and temperature, forming a composite thermal insulation system.
   • Air Break Thermal Design: By using air layers to block heat conduction paths, commonly seen in container modular houses and mobile homes, it can reduce heat transfer by about 30%.
   • Adjustable Ventilation System: By setting sunshade canopies on the roof, ventilation slots at the bottom, or using air inlets and outlets to regulate the temperature inside the container, actual measurements show that the temperature rise inside the cabin in summer is 22 minutes slower than outside, and in winter, the room temperature only drops by 1.3℃ after being closed for 8 hours.

3. Auxiliary Thermal Insulation Measures

   • Window and Door Optimization: Double or triple glazing (with a thermal conductivity coefficient as low as 0.8W/(㎡·K)) is used, with sealing strips added at the edges to reduce heat leakage.
   • Detail Handling: Sealant is used at the joints of thermal insulation materials, and professional construction methods are adopted at the junctions of the thermal insulation layer and the container structure to prevent thermal bridge effects.
   • Temperature Control Equipment: Integrated facilities such as air conditioners and graphene floor heating are used to actively regulate and compensate for the shortcomings of passive thermal insulation, suitable for extreme climate regions.

4. Material Performance Comparison

   • Polyurethane: It has the best thermal insulation performance (thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.022-0.028W/(m·K)), but its cost is relatively high;
   • Rock Wool: It has a Class A fire rating, strong durability, and is suitable for high-temperature and high-humidity environments;
   • Polystyrene: It has a low cost, but its fire resistance is relatively poor (Class B2), and it needs to be used in combination with a fire-resistant layer.