ITC - CNR > Headquarters and branches > Headquarters in San Giuliano Milanese > Innovation > Laboratories > Thermal energy LAB

Thermal energy LAB

The laboratory activities are mainly oriented to assess thermal performances of building materials. Testing methods are adopted with reference to both international and national standard requirements, which are aimed at obtaining the CE marking of the products. Alongside its certification activities the laboratory, by using original test methods, carries out Research and Development activities, in order to optimize innovative materials.

Guarded hot box for the measurement of the thermal transmittance of components and systems
Hygrothermal chamber for the assessment of the performance of external thermal insulation systems
Thermal flow meter for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of materials

Main equipment and instruments

  • heat chamber with guard ring built in accordance with the technical standard UNI EN ISO 8990:1999 to measure the thermal transmittance of complex items, such as: multulayer components, front sides, windows and doors profiles (UNI EN ISO 12567, EN 12412-2);

  • hotplate with maintaining ring and heat flow meter to measure the thermal conductivity and the thermal resistance of both complex and simple building materials (ASTM C518, ISO 8301, ISO 8302, UNI EN 12667, UNI EN 12664, UNI EN 12939, EN1946)

  • hygrothermal room for the aging process and to evaluate the performance of isolation systems, which can be applied to the external side of the building (reversed insulation), by carrying out thermal cycles hot-cold and hot-rain (ETAG 004)

  • ventilated stoves and climate rooms for the conditioning and the simulated aging process of building materials

  • computing tools, mathematical models, software to analyse thermal properties of stratigraphies and complex elements through 2D modelling based on the finite element method