VATIS UPDATE Article

Bayer Pearl, Dubai, has started using Honeywell’s Solstice liquid blowing agent (LBA) technology in its new polyurethane spray foam insulation to offer homeowners in the Middle East excellent thermal insulation performance and reduced energy consumption with lower global-warming impact. Honeywell, the United States, and Bayer Pearl have developed the new polyurethane spray foam system using the new blowing agent to be the most economical and competitive when assessed by performance and overall cost effectiveness.

Insulation made with Solstice LBA has been shown to provide 10 per cent better thermal insulation performance than hydrocarbon blowing agents and four per cent better performance than HFC-based insulation foam. Foam made with Solstice LBA meets the sustainability requirement of GWP less than five, as mandated under Estidama, a mandatory programme in Abu Dhabi which aims at constructing and operating buildings and communities more sustainably.

Blowing agents from Honeywell are being rapidly adopted in a wide range of applications, including spray foam insulation, household refrigerators and freezers, insulated architectural panels, and refrigerated shipping containers. Solstice LBA, which is based on HFO technology, has an ultra-low GWP of One, which is 99.9 per cent lower than blowing agents it replaces and equal to carbon dioxide. It is non-ozone-depleting and nonflammable. Solstice LBA has received Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval under the SNAP programme.