This thesis presents the results of research on sandwich panel construction, with the aims of developing tools for modelling sandwich panel fire performance and hence to use the tools to aid the development of sandwich panel construction with improved fire resistance. The research focuses on sandwich panels made of thin steel sheeting and a polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam core. For non-loadbearing sandwich panel construction, fire resistance is measured in terms of thermal insulation and integrity only. However, these two parameters are affected by mechanical performance of sandwich panel construction due to the high distortion and large deformation nature of sandwich panel construction under fire attack. Therefore, it is necessary to consider both thermal and mechanical performances of sandwich panels under fire conditions. The work in this thesis includes development of a thermal conductivity model for PIR foam as this thermal property is one of the key values in determining heat transfer through sandwich panels; this thermal conductivity model is based on the effective thermal conductivity of porous foams proposed by Glicksman (1994) and includes the effects of polymer decomposition and increases in foam cell size. It is validated against fire tests carried out on PIR sandwich panels 80mm and 100mm thick with steel facings of thickness 0.5mm. A large 3D sequentially coupled thermal-stress model of a full scale fire test has been developed in the commercial finite element analysis (FEA) software ABAQUS to provide insight into the way sandwich panels behave in a fire resistance test and also to assess different modelling techniques. Aspects and stages of the simulation that agree well with test data are explained. Limitations of the ABAQUS software for simulating sandwich panel fire tests are highlighted; namely, it is not possible to simulate the correct radiation heat transfer through panel joints, as cavity radiation cannot be specified in a fully coupled thermal-stress analysis. Joints are key components of sandwich panel construction. In order to obtain temperature development data for modelling joints, a number of fire tests have been carried out. These fire tests were conducted with different joint configurations and panel thicknesses under realistic fire conditions using timber cribs. The joint fire tests revealed significant ablation of the foam core within the joints of sandwich panels at high temperatures. At the beginning of fire exposure, the joint temperature on the unexposed surface was lower than that on the panel due to the better insulation property of air compared to the foam. However, as the joint gap increased due to ablation of the foam, the joint temperatures became higher than in the panel. A numerical simulation model has been created to investigate this behaviour. Using the aforementioned thermal model, numerical simulations have been carried out to examine the influences of possible changes to sandwich panel design on sandwich panel construction fire performance. It was suggested that if the maximum gap in the joints can be limited to 5mm, for example, by applying intumescent coating strips within the sandwich panel joints to counter the increasing gap formed due to core ablation, then the joint temperature on the unexposed surface would not exceed that of the panel surface, hence the joint would cease to be the weak link. To increase the panel fire resistance, the use of graphite particles in the PIR foam formulation may be considered to lower the contribution of radiative heat transfer within the foam cells by reducing the transmissivity of the cell walls. Graphite particles may offer considerable increases in the thermal resistance of PIR foam at high temperatures by limiting the radiation contribution which dominates heat transfer above 300oC.

The theoretical part summarizes the chemical recycling processes of polyurethane and polyisocyanurate insulation foams and methods of polyols preparation from their alcoholysates. Emphasis is placed on the use of microwave heating during depolymerization, as a perspective energy source for chemolysis processes. The practical part is focused on optimization of recyclates preparation derived from polyisocyanurate foams and polyethylene terephthalate by microwave enhanced glycerolysis. Recyclates obtained were verified for their workability and applicability in blends with virgin polyols in polyisocyanurate foam manufacture process.

Dans un contexte de valorisation de molécules issues de la biomasse, de nouvelles architectures moléculaires et polyols ont été développé à partir du sorbitol et divers synthons biosourcés en se basant autant que possible sur les principes de la chimie verte. A partir de réactions d’estérifications contrôlées plusieurs polyols polyesters ont été synthétisés, en l’absence de solvant. Grace à l’utilisation de diols de différentes tailles (C2 à C12) comme monomères, la viscosité et la teneur en fonctions hydroxyles des polyols finaux ont pu être adaptée jusqu’à obtention de propriétés satisfaisantes à l’élaboration de mousses polyuréthanes. Ainsi, des mousses polyuréthanes semi-flexible et des mousses polyisocyanurate rigides ont pu être formulés avec des profils cinétiques de moussage rapide (inférieur à 3 min). Les mousses polyisocyanurates rigides présentent d’excellente propriétés mécaniques et thermiques pouvant pleinement satisfaire à la l’isolation thermique de bâtiment. D’autre part, une voie de transestérification entre le sorbitol et diméthyle carbonate a été étudié afin d’élaborer une nouvelle molécule plateforme bi-fonctionnelle : un bis-cyclocarbonate. A partir de cette molécule plateforme des réactions de polymérisation par ouverture de cycles et d’aminolyses ont été mise en place pour la synthèse de diols, polyéthers réticulés, et de polyuréthanes sans isocyanate (NIPU). Les synthèses de NIPU réalisées à partir de diamines courtes ou longues (issus de dimer d’acide gras) a permis d’étudier les relations existantes entre le choix des monomères et les températures de transitions vitreuses des matériaux polymères résultant. / In a context of renewable molecules valorization, new molecular architectures and polyols have been developed from sorbitol and various biobased building-blocks with respect to the green chemistry principles. Several polyesters polyol have been synthesized from controlled esterification reactions in bulk conditions. Thanks to the used of variable size diols (C2 to C12) monomers, polyols final viscosity and hydroxyls values were tuned until the obtaining of suitable properties for polyurethanes foams elaborations. Thus, semi-flexible polyurethane foams and rigid polyisocyanurate foams were formulated with fast foaming kinetic profiles (less than 3 min). Rigids polyisocyanurates foams exhibit excellent mechanical and thermal properties, in great agreement with building insulating application requirement. Otherwise, transesterifications reaction involving sorbitol and dimethyl carbonate were studied in order to develop a new bi-functional chemical platform, a bis-cyclocarbonate. Ring opening polymerization and aminolysis reactions were investigated from this chemical platform to the elaboration of cross-linked polyether and non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPU). NIPU syntheses were performed with short and long diamines in order to study the relationships between monomers choice and the resulting polymer material temperature of glass transition.

AquaVillas CasaBona väggsystem innehåller i dagsläget isoleringsmaterialet EPS, vilket har visat svagheter vid brand. Målet med denna studie var att föreslå ett alternativt isoleringsmaterial till EPS med hänsyn till brand, energianvändning och U-värde, samt energiåtgång och koldioxidutsläpp vid tillverkning. Syftet var att det föreslagna alternativa isoleringsmaterialet skall kunna användas av tillverkare i väggprodukter som ett alternativ till EPS. I denna studie undersöktes fyra olika isoleringsmaterial genom kritisk granskning av vetenskapliga artiklar och litteratur, samt genom fältstudie och beräkningar i energiberäkningsprogrammet VIP-energy. De isoleringsmaterial som undersöktes var expanderad polystyren, polyuretan, polyisocyanurat och stenull. Resultaten visade att EPS, PUR och PIR är avsevärt sämre ur brandsynpunkt än stenull. Vid tillverkning av de olika isoleringsmaterialen fick EPS bäst resultat när det gäller koldioxidutsläpp. För energiåtgång vid tillverkning fick EPS bäst resultat då isoleringsskiktet i det undersökta väggsystemet var 200 mm tjockt, men då utgångspunkten istället var att väggen skulle ha ett U-värde på 0,112 W/m2K, fick stenull bäst resultat i denna kategori. PUR och PIR fick sämst resultat gällande både energiåtgång och koldioxidutsläpp vid tillverkning. Stenull gav väggen den bästa energianvändningen men samtliga material klarade kraven i Boverkets Byggregler. Vid sammanvägning av samtliga undersökta egenskaper för de olika isoleringsmaterialen anses det mest lämpliga materialet för en vägg vara stenull. / The AquaVilla CasaBona wall system currently contains the insulation material EPS, which has shown weaknesses while exposed to fire. The aim for this study was to suggest an alternative insulation material to EPS regarding fire, energy use and U-vale as well as energy use and carbon dioxide emissions for manufacturing. The purpose was that the suggested alternative insulation material should be able to be used by manufacturers in wall products as an alternative to EPS. In this study, four different insulation materials were examined by critically reviewing scientific articles and literature, as well as field studies and calculations with the energy calculation program VIP-energy. The insulation materials investigated were expanded polystyrene, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate and rockwool. The findings showed that EPS, PUR and PIR were not nearly as good as rockwool regarding fire. When manufacturing the various insulation materials, EPS gives the best results in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. EPS gives the best results regarding energy use for manufacturing when the insulation layer in the investigated wall system was 200 mm thick, but when the wall was given a U-value of 0,112 W/m2K, rockwool got the best results in this category. PUR and PIR gave the worst results regarding both energy use and carbon dioxide emissions at manufacturing. Rockwool generated the best results regarding energy use, but all of the materials met the requirements from Boverkets Byggregler. When comparing all the investigated characteristics of the various insulation materials, the most suitable material for an external wall was considered to be rockwool.

Metall-Schaumstoff-Verbundelemente werden aufgrund ihrer sehr guten Flammschutzwirkung, selbsttragenden Eigenschaften bei geringem Gewicht und der kostengünstigen Montagemöglichkeit zunehmend in der Baubranche zur effizienten Wärmedämmung eingesetzt. Die Verbundelemente bestehen aus zwei flächigen, linierten oder profilierten, außen liegenden metallischen Deckschichten geringer Dicke, in denen der Zwischenraum (Kernschicht) mit einer wärmedämmenden Hartschaumschicht aus z. B. Polyisocyanurat ausgefüllt ist. Bedingt durch den (kontinuierlichen) Fertigungsprozess entstehen im Schaumkern material- und strukturbedingte Inhomogenitäten, wodurch dessen Materialeigenschaften über der Schaumdicke variieren. Diese Inhomogenitäten können die mechanischen Eigenschaften der Verbundelemente negativ beeinflussen und zu einem frühzeitigen Versagen führen. Aus diesem Grund ist das Verständnis bzw. die Berücksichtigung der lokalen Effekte im Schaum sowohl für die Auslegung der Verbundelemente als auch zur Schöpfung möglicher Potenziale zur Verbesserung der Produktqualität essenziell. Da die Betrachtung der lokalen Einflussfaktoren experimentell und analytisch nur begrenzt isoliert möglich ist, wird in dieser Arbeit ein numerischer Multiskalen-Ansatz unter Verwendung der Finite-Elemente-Methode vorgestellt, welcher in der Lage ist, die mechanischen Eigenschaften der lokalen mesoskaligen Schaumstrukturen mittels Homogenisierung in einem makroskaligen Simulationsmodell eines kompletten Verbundelementes zu berücksichtigen. Für die Validierung und Bewertung des Modells werden kommerziell erhältliche Verbundelemente verwendet. Im ersten Schritt werden die lokalen (höhenaufgelösten) Schaumeigenschaften dieser Verbundelemente experimentell charakterisiert. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf der Analyse des Schaumbasismaterials und der Zellstruktur. Basierend auf den experimentellen Daten wird ein mesoskaliges Simulationsmodell eines Repräsentativen Volumenelements erstellt und validiert, welches eine Vorhersage der mechanischen Eigenschaften anisotroper Schaumstrukturen mit unterschiedlichen Aspektverhältnissen und Orientierungen der individuellen Zellen auf Basis definierter Ellipsoidpackungen und einer anisotropen Mosaik-Methode ermöglicht. Neben der Vorhersage der lokalen Schaumeigenschaften bietet das mesoskalige Modell die Möglichkeit, Auswirkungen einzelner Einflussfaktoren auf die Schaumeigenschaften isoliert zu betrachten. Ein Vergleich zwischen experimentellen und numerischen Ergebnissen aus einem zuvor definierten Bereich zeigt, dass sowohl im Experiment, als auch in der mesoskaligen Simulation die Strukturen ein stark anisotropes Verhalten aufweisen, wobei der Grad der Anisotropie in der Simulation tendenziell leicht unterschätzt wird. Trotz kleiner Abweichungen stimmen die Simulationsergebnisse gut mit den experimentellen Daten überein. Demnach ist das mesoskalige Simulationsmodell geeignet, um die lokalen, anisotropen mechanischen Schaumeigenschaften nachzubilden. Darauf aufbauend werden die lokalen Materialeigenschaften eines ausgewählten Verbundelementes numerisch bestimmt und auf das makroskopische Modell übertragen. Im Zuge dessen werden sowohl geeignete Methoden zur Implementierung der Schaumeigenschaften vorgestellt, als auch eine Sensitivitätsanalyse zum Einfluss der Auflösung der lokalen mesoskaligen Schaumstruktur auf die makroskopischen Eigenschaften der Verbundelemente durchgeführt. Die Qualität des makroskopischen Simulationsmodells wird über den Vergleich der simulativen Ergebnisse mit bauteil-typischen Messungen analysiert. Vergleichbar zur mesoskaligen Validierung können die makroskaligen Bauteileigenschaften mit kleineren Abweichungen gut wiedergegeben werden. Voraussetzung ist jedoch, dass die im Vergleich zur (nahezu) homogenen Schaum-Kernschicht äußeren, inhomogenen Randschichten separat modelliert werden. Diese Erkenntnisse lassen sich auch auf andere Verbundelemente mit unterschiedlichen Dicken übertragen, da aus den experimentellen Untersuchungen bekannt ist, dass die Verbundelemente qualitativ vergleichbare Eigenschaftsverteilungen aufweisen. Aufgrund des hohen Rechen- und Modellierungsaufwands wird abschließend bewertet, inwiefern die komplexen mesomechanischen Eigenschaften anisotroper Schaumstrukturen in zukünftigen Multiskalen-Simulationen effizienter berücksichtigt werden können. Hierzu wird ein Künstliches Neuronales Netz verwendet, wobei der Fokus aufgrund der benötigten Dauer zur Erstellung einer geeigneten Datenbasis auf der Vorhersage des orthotropen Steifigkeitstensors liegt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass bei einer geeigneten Netzwerkstruktur und einer ausreichenden Datenbasis die mechanischen Eigenschaften komplexer Zellstrukturen mittels eines Neuronalen Netzes innerhalb von Sekunden sehr gut reproduziert werden können. In einer abschließenden Studie wird der Einfluss der Datenbankgröße auf die Vorhersagegenauigkeit untersucht. Es kann festgestellt werden, dass mindestens 500 Trainingsdatenpunkte erforderlich sind, um eine ausreichende Genauigkeit zu erreichen. / Metal-foam composite elements are used increasingly for efficient thermal insulation in the construction industry due to their very good flame-retardancy, self-supporting properties combined with low weight, and low-cost assembly options. The composite elements consist of two thin, flat, lined, or profiled external metallic cover layers, in which the interspace (core layer) is filled with a thermally insulating low-density layer of rigid foam, e.g. polyisocyanurate. Due to the (continuous) manufacturing process, material- and structure-related inhomogeneities occur in the foam core, causing its material properties to vary over the core thickness. These inhomogeneities can negatively affect the mechanical properties of the composite elements and lead to premature failure. For this reason, understanding and considering the local effects is essential both for the design of the composite elements and for creating possible potentials to improve the product quality. Since the consideration of local influencing factors is limited experimentally and analytically in isolation, this work presents a numerical multiscale approach using the finite element method, which can consider the mechanical properties of the local mesoscale foam structures using homogenization in a macroscale simulation model of a complete composite element. For the validation and evaluation of the model, commercially available composite elements are used. In a first step, the local (height-resolved) foam properties of these composite elements are characterized experimentally. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of foam base material, foam density, and cell structure. Based on the experimental data, a mesoscale simulation model of a representative volume element is created and validated, which allows a prediction of mechanical properties of anisotropic foam structures with different aspect ratios and orientations of the individual cells based on defined ellipsoid packings and an anisotropic tessellation method. In addition to predicting local foam properties, this mesoscale model offers the possibility to consider effects of individual influencing factors on foam performance in isolation. A comparison between experimental and numerical results from a previously defined area shows that in both the experiment and the mesoscale simulation, the structures exhibit strongly anisotropic behavior, although the degree of anisotropy tends to be slightly underestimated in the simulation. Despite small deviations, simulation results agree well with experimental data. Accordingly, this mesoscale simulation model is suitable to reproduce local anisotropic mechanical foam properties. Based on this, local material properties of a selected composite element are determined numerically and transferred to the macroscopic model. In the course of this, suitable methods for implementing foam properties are presented as well as a sensitivity analysis on the influence of resolution of the local mesoscale foam structure on macroscopic properties of composite elements. The quality of the macroscopic simulation model is again analyzed via a comparison of simulative results with component-typical measurements. Comparable to the mesoscale validation, macroscale component properties can be reproduced well with minor deviations. A prerequisite, however, is that outer, inhomogeneous layers are modeled separately compared to (nearly) homogeneous foam core layer. These findings can also be applied to other composite elements with different thicknesses since it is known from experimental investigations that composite elements exhibit qualitatively comparable property distributions. Finally, due to the high computational and modeling effort, it is evaluated to what extent the complex mesomechanical properties of anisotropic foam structures can be considered more efficiently in future multiscale simulations. For this purpose, an Artificial Neural Network is used, focusing on the prediction of orthotropic stiffness tensor due to the required duration to generate a suitable database. Results from this study show that with a suitable network structure and a sufficient database, the mechanical properties of complex foam structures can be reproduced very well via the Artificial Neural Network within seconds. In a final study, the effect of the database size on the prediction accuracy was examined. It could be observed that at least 500 training datapoints are required to obtain sufficient accuracy.