BASF
Ready-to-use PU panels offer customised solutions with high insulation / Sample quantities available in H2 2014
A product that displays high insulation performance, is extra-slim, lightweight and can be produced as a ready-to-use polyurethane panel has been developed by BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com). The company said the material is scheduled for launch in the next few years and is aimed at applications including refrigeration and construction.
Speaking at a recent pre-“K 2013” press conference, Marc Fricke, laboratory head, advanced materials and systems research at BASF Polyurethanes (Lemförde / Germany; www.pu.basf.de), said the insulating material will be a customised solution for the individual needs of customers and that, with adjustments to its chemical formulation, the product can be modified to suit the requirements of different application sectors.
The material has a lambda (thermal conductivity) value of below 16 mW/m K, which is claimed to be the highest performance achieved for an insulating panel. Modern standard insulating materials perform with values ranging from 21 to 40 mW/m K. Compared to conventional products, 25% to 50% slimmer insulation is possible, adding design options to new constructions or building modernisations. In processing, the product can be handled dust-free, is easy to work with – sawing, cutting, drilling and bonding do not bring problems during the installation of the PU panel, Fricke said.
The material, an organic aerogel that will be offered as a mechanically strong panel, gains its insulation properties through its optimised pore size – in the nanometer range – something not yet achieved in the form of a sturdy panel, Fricke added. The minute pores limit the air molecules’ freedom of movement and significantly reduce heat transfer. When used in a vacuum insulation panel (VIP), a vacuum is applied during production of the insulating material to remove air from the pores. The application of the process brings a further improvement in the lambda value, with under 5 mW/m K to be possible.
The first sample quantities of the product will be available in the second half of 2014, produced at a new pilot plant at the Lemförde site.
Speaking at a recent pre-“K 2013” press conference, Marc Fricke, laboratory head, advanced materials and systems research at BASF Polyurethanes (Lemförde / Germany; www.pu.basf.de), said the insulating material will be a customised solution for the individual needs of customers and that, with adjustments to its chemical formulation, the product can be modified to suit the requirements of different application sectors.
The material has a lambda (thermal conductivity) value of below 16 mW/m K, which is claimed to be the highest performance achieved for an insulating panel. Modern standard insulating materials perform with values ranging from 21 to 40 mW/m K. Compared to conventional products, 25% to 50% slimmer insulation is possible, adding design options to new constructions or building modernisations. In processing, the product can be handled dust-free, is easy to work with – sawing, cutting, drilling and bonding do not bring problems during the installation of the PU panel, Fricke said.
The material, an organic aerogel that will be offered as a mechanically strong panel, gains its insulation properties through its optimised pore size – in the nanometer range – something not yet achieved in the form of a sturdy panel, Fricke added. The minute pores limit the air molecules’ freedom of movement and significantly reduce heat transfer. When used in a vacuum insulation panel (VIP), a vacuum is applied during production of the insulating material to remove air from the pores. The application of the process brings a further improvement in the lambda value, with under 5 mW/m K to be possible.
The first sample quantities of the product will be available in the second half of 2014, produced at a new pilot plant at the Lemförde site.
29.07.2013 Plasteurope.com [225803-0]
Published on 29.07.2013