EPS vs. XPS

Learn why EPS can be your advantage.

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EPS is the acronym for expanded polystyrene, which is a thermoplastic rigid foam material made from polystyrene beads. XPS is the acronym for extruded polystyrene, which is produced from solid polystyrene crystals.

EPS has the best price per inch of R-Value and the R-Value won't diminish over time, making Plasti-Fab’s EPS solutions more cost-effective than other insulation products, including XPS.

Our EPS products are GREENGUARD certiﬁed, have superior material properties that boost energy efﬁciency, and have a lifetime Global Warming Potential (GWP) that is 31 times less than XPS.

Plasti-Fab manufactures its own resin and turns the resin into rigid foam products. Technical data gathered throughout the vertically integrated manufacturing process is used to develop CCMC-listed products and applications, support ASTM standards development, and drive research and development. These efforts are supported by our in-house SCC-accredited technical centre.

LTTR and why it matters

LTTR stands for Long-Term Thermal Resistance. It is used to predict the R-value for cellular plastic insulations that are manufactured with the intent to retain a blowing agent (other than air) for a period longer than 180 days and is intended to represent the R-value after five years of in situ aging. Certain types of insulation, like XPS, lose R-value over the life of the product, making it necessary for the manufacturer to provide information about the expected future R-value.

LTTR does not apply to EPS because it isn’t manufactured with the intent to retain a blowing agent and, due to its closed-cell nature, there is no loss of R-value over time.

Plasti-Fab’s EPS products are manufactured to the highest standards. Our expertise in making EPS rigid foam insulation extends from molecules to municipalities.

Which should you choose? Key considerations:

	EPS	XPS
R‑Value	Product R‑value ranges from R3.75 to R4.7(GPS) per inch	Product R-value is R5 per inch
Long‑term Thermal Resistance (LTTR)	Won’t lose R‑value over time	Loss can be up to 84.5% of R-Value over the life of the product.***
Environmental Impact	*Global Warming Impact 73% Less than XPS at 2.79 kg CO2	**Global Warming Impact of 87 kg CO2
Water Absorption	Dries over time to help maintain R‑Value	0.7% by volume, which further reduces R‑Value***
Compressive Resistance	10 to 60 psi available to suit application	10 to 100 psi available, specified at a higher cost
Dimensions Available	Can be customized to meet your needs.	Supplied in 2’ or 4’ widths and maximum 4” thick

*Environmental Product Declaration of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Insulation per ISO 14025, UL Environment Declaration No. 4787238561.101.1 (2017)
**Environmental Product Declaration of Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Insulation per ISO 14025, UL Environment Declaration No. 4786548101.101.1 (2014)
*** Please refer to detailed information within the learn more section for full insight.