Worldwide, some 8 billion square metres of gypsum plasterboard are used in building services engineering. For decades, the demand for these crucial components within the construction sector has been increasing steadily. Users value the high cost-effectiveness of gypsum plasterboard in drywall cons- truction, the high fi nish quality of the constructions and the climate-controlling impact of the gypsum plasterboard as a result of its capacity to absorb and release water. However, as yet, the low heat conductivity of this plasterboard and level of protection from electromagnetic radiation have not been satisfactory.
Through the collaboration of the Steinbeis Transfer Center Plastics and Composites Technology, based in Naila, with the companies SGL Technologies GmbH and Saint-Gobain Rigips GmbH, a new, graphite-modifi ed gypsum plasterboard has been developed which has eliminated these fundamental drawbacks that have persisted for decades. This new generation of gypsum plasterboard marks a milestone in terms of heat conduction and electromagnetic protection, without affecting the positive fun- damental qualities of the plasterboard.
A distinct feature of graphite-modified gypsum plasterboard is its heat conductivity, which is the same as that of water, the most important temperature medium, at 0.52 W / mK. The protection it offers against electromagnetic radiation is around 60 dB, i. e. the effect of existing electromagnetic radiation in the range of 0 to 10 GHz is reduced to almost a millionth.
In view of these innovative properties of graphite-modified gypsum plasterboard, it is anticipated that it will be used widely in the areas of climate control and protection against electromagnetic radiation in housing construction both nationally and internationally as well as in industrial construction. It has already been put to use, particularly in energy-saving buildings and private homes. The BMW-Welt facility in Munich is just one example of its use in a building of public interest.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Kipfelsberger
Steinbeis Transfer Center Plastics and Composites Technology (Naila)