Horgen, Switzerland -- Dow Chemical Co. has globally launched its Voratherm polyisocyanurate (PIR) rigid foam for use in metal-faced sandwich panels and will feature this development at Stand 2030/2230 at the UTECH Europe 2009 exhibition next week. Dow says its new product family "combines the excellent thermal insulation properties of conventional polyurethane foam with the enhanced fire resistance of PIR."
Voratherm has been designed for commercial, industrial and residential building applications, including cold rooms, clean rooms, warehouses and office space, and can help manufacturers meet a variety of fire safety requirements for both insurance and national regulations.
"Changing market requirements and evolving legislation pose challenges for panel manufacturers," commented Brian Powers, global market manager for construction polyurethanes at Dow Polyurethane Systems, in Dow's 26 March announcement. "They have to maintain the insulating effectiveness of their products, meet increasingly stringent fire safety codes and remain a preferred supplier to their customers," he continued, saying that Voratherm can help them meet these aims.
As well as a wide range of fire performance, Voratherm can be "tailored to fit specific needs and processing environments, and ... we have been able to successfully complete customer trials in as little as six weeks," Powers said.
Voratherm offers the superb insulation, lightweight, structural strength and adhesion properties of conventional rigid PU, but the ring structure in PIR helps to make it chemically and thermally more stable, said Dow, resulting in improved performance in reaction with as well as resistance to fire.
Voratherm has passed the standard flammability test for building components FM 4880 as well as Loss Prevention Standards tests 1181 and 1208, normally achieving up to 60 minutes of fire resistance.
To help panel manufacturers convert to PIR, Dow has designated technical service people to provide support through the entire process of implementation
UTECH EUROPE 2009 will be held Tuesday 31 March to Thursday 2 April at the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands. For more information on the conference and to register online, go to www.utecheurope2009conference.com andfor the exhibition, preregistration is possible at www.utecheurope.nl
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