The PAROC® Pro Wired Mat LE was developed in co-operation with project management, technical support, laboratory evaluations and production trials. We spoke to Charlotte Pettersson - Material Research and Development Specialist at PAROC, part of Owens Corning - to find out more about how this low emission insulation was developed and what makes it so different.
1. What inspired the development of PAROC® Pro Wired Mat LE? And what challenges were faced during its creation?
In 2014 the Swedish Work Environment Authority published a regulation [1] recommending regular spirometry examination for all workers who come into direct contact with chemical hazards, like formaldehyde and isocyanates, or with any that form during thermal degradation.
Customers using our products in hot applications started to require new solutions to decrease or avoid isocyanate emissions altogether. This got us looking at our production processes and it was quickly evident that isocyanates, especially monoisocyanates, form in hot applications when we use a traditional binder in our products.
The Paroc Research & Development and Technical Insulation business teams in co-operation with the Owens Corning S&T team in Granville, were heavily involved in finding a new binder solution. The most challenging aspect was to find a binder that could fulfil all Paroc’s performance criteria, while meeting the requirement for lower emissions and improved safety.
2. Can you explain how the binder is made and what makes it more sustainable than conventional binders?
It’s a new, partly bio-based technology with a patent application pending. To make it, a fossil-based polycarboxylic acid is mixed with bio-based reactive diluent polyol(s), forming a binder in the stone wool product that gives low monoisocyanate emissions when it first comes into contact with a hot surface. This is a significant improvement compared to conventional binders, which are mainly fossil based.
3. What kind of independent testing and R&D were used to verify the product’s performance and low emission claims?
Most of the product testing took place in Paroc’s Research & Development department; very well-equipped laboratories in Pargas, Finland. The critical aspects, such as high temperature emissions, lambda and product durability based on Maximum Service Temperatures, were analysed and verified by external labs.
4. How does reducing emissions during the first heat-up impact industrial facilities in terms of downtime and worker safety?
During the first heat up of insulation, precautions need to be taken to protect the workers from hazardous emissions. By reducing the monoisocyanate and formaldehyde emissions formed during the first heat up, downtime can be shortened, since part of the installation can be completed when the heating is started. However, precautions should still be taken according to the volume of the facility, room air change and amount of wool installed, for example, since thermal decomposition of polymers can behave differently, such as if a depolymerization, side-group elimination, random chain scission or oxidation of the polymer occurs.
5. How can PAROC® Pro Wired Mat LE contribute to regulatory compliance?
While there are no official regulatory limits for high temperature emissions, with the proper amount insulation installed, the correct heat up profile and room air change, the occupational emission limits can be significantly improved compared to conventional solutions.
The PAROC® Pro Wired Mat LE can comply with the most stringent limit values based on regulatory and voluntary schemes for products used in room temperature.
6. Which industries or applications can benefit from PAROC® Pro Wired Mat LE?
Any industry that has process parts with temperatures >200 °C, for example power plants, heating plants and the chemical industry as a whole can benefit from PAROC® Pro Wired Mat LE [2].
7. Have you received feedback from customers who have implemented this insulation in their operations?
One example is PAROC® Pro Wired Mat LE was chosen by Jämtkraft for its ability to significantly reduce emissions and improve worker safety.
The low emissions have helped them to ensure a safe work environment for employees and contractors, both during the installation phase and during future maintenance and operations.
The enhanced efficiency and reduced downtime were also key factors in their decision to choose PAROC Pro Wired Mat LE, enabling them to make more efficient maintenance stops, without having to close off the building when heating up the boiler.