Thermal radiative properties of phenolic foam insulation

Thermal insulation has long been an important subject in engineering. Foam insulations have become the most widely used insulations due to their low cost and case of procesing. In recent years, phenolic foams find increasing applications because of their fire retardation. This paper presents experimental results of thermal radiative properties of phenolic foams, with or without activated carbon. Transmittance spectra were first taken using FTIR for samples of various densities. Extinction coefficient spectra were then obtained by applying Beer's law. Finally, by using the diffusion approximation, the Rosseland mean extinction coefficients and radiative thermal conductivities were obtained for various temperatures. Results show that the extinction coefficient increases with sample density. The addition of activated carbon increases the extinction coefficient slightly.