Abstract
The effective use of insulation in both commercial and residential buildings is the key to energy conservation. The effectiveness of an insulation is dependent upon many factors. If the insulation is a foam plastic, the blowing agent used in the insulation is critical to its performance. There has been a transition in blowing agents over the last decade from CFC's to HCFC's and the industry will soon see another transition from HCFC's to a third generation blowing agent. The exact timing of these transitions is dependent upon the Montreal Protocol national and local regulations. Each transition in blowing agents requires modifications to the manufacturing process for the foam products.
AlliedSignal is dedicated to providing an HFC blowing agent to the construction industry and has identified HFC-245fa (1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane) as our third generation blowing agent. Since 1994, we have published a series of papers on the development of this blowing agent. This paper discusses some of the key considerations required in making the transition from HCFC-141b to HFC-245fa in areas of polyisocyanurate boardstock and spray foam. It also discusses progress made in the application of HFC-245fa in bunstock and pour in place panel applications.
It will discuss the progress in areas such as raw materials and formulation optimization, possible equipment and processing parameters changes required to optimize performance, and a general discussion of foam properties, including flammability, in comparison to HCFC-141b blown foams.
It will focus on providing the information which board and system manufacturers and spray foam applicators will need to make a successful transition. This includes information on gasket compatibility, gloves, system vapor pressures, system packaging and shipping requirements and product performance.
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