Honeywell has announced that Demilec has introduced a product formulated with Honeywell’s Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA). Demilec’s Heatlok HFO High Lift spray foam insulation system is available to customers for use in commercial and residential wall insulation.
Indoor heating and cooling can account for 48 percent of energy use in a typical U.S. home, according to the Department of Energy, and can be even higher for commercial buildings. The spray foam insulation industry is transitioning to products that help building owners and home owners further improve energy efficiency and lower energy costs, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions 99.9 percent over the previous generation of products. Blowing agents are an ingredient in foam insulation, allowing the foam to expand and enabling its insulating performance, which in turn affects energy use. Unlike other types of insulation, closed cell spray foam provides a combination of thermal insulation and air sealing performance, which can lead to more energy efficiency. For example, in comparison with fiberglass, spray foam offers twice the insulation value and energy efficiency.
Solstice LBA has a low GWP of 1, which is 99.9 percent lower than HFCs and equal to carbon dioxide. Solstice LBA offers other added benefits, as well. It can provide a higher yield, reduce clogs in the spray guns the installation teams use, create better consistency of the foam itself, and it can provide better adhesion. To meet demand, Honeywell’s Solstice LBA world-scale manufacturing plant in Louisiana started up in May 2014.
“Solstice LBA is an important part of Demilec’s future, serving thousands of customers in the U.S. and Canada, and growing. We’ve made a commitment to transition all of our closed-cell foams to this blowing agent and this technology over the next 18 months,” says Paul Valle, president, Demilec. “We are seeing growing acceptance of spray foam by architects, builders, and homeowners. They recognize the value of a building insulated with spray foam. I think Solstice LBA will become a differentiator as people demand a more comfortable living space with energy efficiency.”
The launch of Heatlok HFO is a milestone for Demilec as it transitions its closed-cell foam product line from hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blowing agents with high global-warming-potentials (GWPs) to alternatives with ultra-low GWP such as Solstice LBA. The transition is occurring ahead of regulations calling for a phase-out of HFCs and positions Demilec for growth.
“With a strong presence in the U.S. and Canada, Demilec is respected when it comes to spray foam innovation and environmental commitment,” says Laura Reinhard, global business manager for spray foam, Honeywell. “We look forward to working with Demilec in transitioning its closed-cell foams to Solstice LBA, beginning with the new Heatlok HFO.”
Solstice LBA is nonflammable (ASTM E-681) and is not a volatile organic compound per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Solstice LBA is listed as an acceptable substitute for HFC blowing agents under the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program.
Solstice LBA is used in a variety of rigid foam insulation applications, including residential and commercial refrigeration equipment, spray foam insulation, and insulated metal panels, as well as flexible foam applications, such as molded foam, and integral skin.