Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1295215
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 | 19 Insulation P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E SY H U N T S M A N B U I L D I N G S O LU T I O N S The insulation sector ramps up to meet code demands by ROBIN BRUNET Breathe In, Breathe Out T he perpetual concern over energy conservation combined with problems associated with poor insulation systems have caused developers to spend more time than ever determining what insulation best suits their project needs. But this can result in indecision, due to the sheer number of options from cold climate and structural insulated panels to open and closed cell spray foam, cellulite and cotton, flash and batt, and even – for niche off-the-grid projects – the straw bale system. Of course, ever-changing building and environmental regulations go a long way in determining what systems are used and where. And they also at times play a role in evolving the systems. Doug Brady, VP, global innovation and prod- uct management at Huntsman Building Solutions (which is a combination of the two legacy companies Icynene-Lapolla and Demilec, acquired by Huntsman Corporation), says, "In terms of closed cell blowing agents, the industry started with freon then went to HCFC based products, then in 2000 we switched to HFC, which was zero ozone depleting but had a long half-life in the atmosphere and a high global warming potential. "Now we're in a fourth generation of products with HFO blowing agents, whose molecules break down in days instead of months." Huntsman Building Solutions is re-launching its HFO product, which lever- ages a Solstice liquid blowing agent from Honeywell, in anticipation of new legislation coming into effect on January 1, 2021 that allows only HFO blowing agents to be used due to their low GDP (less than one) and almost no impact on the ozone. "Our HFO was developed to overcome shelf life limitations and can be stored for six months," says Brady. "The product is not yet widely used in Canada as the legislation is still not in effect, but we anticipate installers to start switching now from HFC to HFO products as we are only four months away from the change of legislation. To present our new Heatlok Soya HFO product, we've embarked on a cross-country launch and are conducting one-on-one trials and training sessions – and hope- fully building developers will grow to appreciate the benefits." The Huntsman Building Solutions spray foam has several advantages over products made with HFCs. One is an increase in the maximum thickness of each layer of foam that can be applied without the risk it will catch on fire. Typically spray foam can be applied in lifts of a couple of inches, but this HFO can be applied up to eight-inches thick in one day. The HFO-blown foam also has a R-value of R-6 per inch when measured in a two- inch thick layer with the most recent and strenuous standard CAN/ULC S705.1-15. Apllication of Huntsman's Heatlok Soya HFO.