ACCELERATED AGEING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EXPANDING WEATHER STRIPPING FOAM

Author(s): Jelle, B. P., Jorun-Marie, H., Gao, T., Bugten, A., Rognvik, E. and Kvalvik, M.
Paper category: Conference
Book title: XIII International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components - XIII DBMC
Editor(s): Marco Quattrone, Vanderley M. John
Print ISBN: none
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-149-0
Publication year: 2015
Pages: 527-534
Total Pages: 8
Language: English

Abstract: Expanding weather stripping foams are applied between various building component joints in the building envelope in order to achieve a satisfactory air tightness. A typical example is between a window and its joints towards the wall. During construction the distance may vary in these joints, therefore it is required that the weather stripping is able to expand up to a specified thickness. It is crucial that this expansion capability will be intact for a specified service life, or else the air tightness will be substantially jeopardized, which again may lead to a reduced energy efficiency of the building and also building damages caused by moisture ingression. However, degradation and subsequent loss of expansion capability may occur in expanding weather stripping foams by their exposure to outdoor climate during many years, both directly exposed to solar radiation and wind-driven rain during the construction period and temperature ageing throughout several years. Furthermore, freezing/thawing cycles may also contribute to the deterioration.

In order to investigate their retention of expansion capability, the expanding weather stripping foams have been subjected to accelerated ageing by climate ageing and elevated temperature ageing. The durability and ageing of the expanding weather stripping foams have been studied and characterized by their expansion ability, chemical material analysis by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and structural analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Online publication: 2015
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00