Virtual Days 2023

Sustainability, improved carbon footprint and reduced energy usage, are all themes and topics at the forefront of many discussions in various industries today and which certainly holds true for building and construction. One of the tools in decreasing our energy usage and thus carbon footprint in this area is the utilization of highly insulating materials, to help minimize energy waste for heating and cooling the interior of buildings and homes. It is understood that a well-insulated building can have improved energy consumption and therefore a lower cost and carbon footprint. A few particulars of the insulation; it should be efficient and meet all building standards and regulations, including but not limited to flame retardancy. When looking at the various types of insulation materials available, polymeric foams are amongst the most efficient and cost effective means to insulate a building, specifically styrenic foams are utilized to a high degree in this area. However, these material require additives to reduce the inherent flammability, i.e. flame retardants (FRs), which allow for improved performance in mandatory building and construction flammability standards. The flame retardant industry also has their eye on sustainability when it comes to flame retardant materials. What this means from a LANXESS perspective is polymeric, oligomeric, and reactive FRs. Our polymeric flame retardant (PolyFR) solution for styrenic foam insulation, Emerald Innovation® 3000, fills the need for flame retardants in this area. PolyFRs also have several sustainability advantages over legacy small-molecule flame retardants. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed in their June 2014 report the improved environmental profile of Emerald Innovation® 3000 over the typical legacy small-molecules and maintaining the fire performance. Additionally, PolyFR materials are entangled with the polystyrene matrix, limiting their ability to migrate, thereby remaining in the foam maintaining the FR performance over time. Overall, Emerald Innovation® 3000 has been shown to be a proven alternative to legacy small-molecule flame retardants for all styrenic foams.