The blowing agent also will have an atmospheric lifetime of few days.
This was announced at the UTECH Europe conference and expo held in Maastricht, The Netherlands, where polyurethane industry leaders gather every three years to discuss issues and opportunities facing the industry.
‘This product is another example of how our expanding low-global-warming product portfolio is both meeting our customers’ needs and providing superior environmental performance,’ said Rene Mueller, managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Honeywell Fluorine Products. ‘Honeywell is committed to building on its strong history of innovation to meet new challenges.’
These properties are expected to result in lower greenhouse gas emissions impact on the environment while also providing the foam’s high insulation performance, dimensional stability and compressive strength.
The non-flammable liquid blowing agent will provide customers with an alternative to hydrocarbons and traditional hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Honeywell expects the product will be available in limited sample quantities for customers later in 2009.
Polyurethane foam is basically used as a cost-effective and highly energy-efficient insulation for appliances and homes, as well as for commercial roofing systems. Blowing agents allow foam to expand and provide many of the foam’s key performance characteristics, including its high R-value, which is the measure of insulating capability. Fluorinated blowing agents provide the highest degree of thermal insulation for polyurethane foams.
