Insulation material from the desert

The CMB Group from Egypt brought a host of new products to the Bau international trade fair in Munich, Germany, with its Marmox brand. One item in particular that was highlighted by the company was the new XPS construction panel Marmox Board-Prox with its efficient thermal insulation properties.
"The new construction panel is perfect for interior insulation," said Karim Mostafa, son of the company's founder Dr Kamal Mostafa and business development manager, summing up the product attributes, "especially in areas where efficient thermal insulation and minimal insulation thickness are required." In specific terms, this means that the panel achieves a thermal conductivity value of 0.021 W/mK even at a thickness of 20 mm; the value for a 50 mm panel is 0.023 W/mK. "These insulation panels have the world's lowest heat transition coefficients," adds Karim Mostafa.
These values are attained thanks to a production process that is patented in Europe and the USA. The core of the material consists of an extruded, closed-cell hard polystyrene foam (XPS). A water- and gas-diffusion-tight layer is applied to both surfaces, guaranteeing outstanding adhesion using commercial adhesives, even cementitious ones, according to the manufacturer. 
The resulting panel is so sturdy that it can even be used on the floor. The watertight outer material also means that it can be used in wet areas. It can be cut to size using a cutter or a hand saw.

In its product portfolio Marmox has specialised in materials that can be used as a base for wall and floor coverings such as tiles, natural stone or mosaic surfaces. "It's what's underneath that counts," is the slogan used. Another product category comprises items for barrier-free showers, such as flat shower trays and gradient elements with point drainage and linear drainage.
Now Marmox is not only present "underneath" with its products, but also on the surface. At Bau the company unveiled both a new mosaic covering and shower trays with a natural stone surface. The latter was created by attaching a layer of natural stone around two mm thick to the gradient element of extruded polystyrene foam using a special adhesive.
On the sales front the company is working with large DIY chains in Europe and the…