Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Saudi Arabia: Honeywell and Bayer Pearl are targeting the Saudi Arabian market with a spray foam system that uses a proprietary Honeywell liquid blowing agent.

“We are delighted that Bayer Pearl has formulated their new spray foam system with Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent and are encouraged that Saudi Arabian leaders are considering implementing these new technologies to further enhance their economy and society,” said Amir Naqvi, regional marketing leader at Honeywell Fluorine Products.

The announcement follows a workshop in Riyadh entitled ‘Sustainable Solutions for polyurethane Foam’ that has looked at organic insulation. In the wake of the Saudi 2030 Vision development plan it is anticipated that 1.5m new homes will be required in the country and energy demands will also grow. Demand for thermal insulation is expected to rise in line with this.

Middle East: Honeywell has joined hands with Bayer Pearl to introduce a new spray foam system in the Middle East region.

A joint venture between Bayer MaterialScience AG and Pearl Insulation Materials Industries, the company said that it will deploy the solstice liquid blowing agent (LBA) technology from Honeywell in its new polyurethane spray foam insulation to offer homeowners in the region excellent thermal insulation performance and reduced energy consumption with lower global-warming impact.

Honeywell and Bayer Pearl had developed the new polyurethane spray foam system using the new blowing agent to be the most economical and competitive when assessed by performance and overall cost effectiveness.

"This first application of a PU spray foam system with a fourth-generation blowing agent in a construction project in the UAE underlines Bayer Pearl's commitment to sustainability. We evaluated several options to meet the sustainability requirement of GWP less than 5 in the region and found foam with Solstice LBA to be the best solution," said Jose-Antonio Diaz-Lopez, the Head of Application Development at Bayer Pearl.

The Bayer Pearl spray foam insulation system has already been used in residential applications, with the system applied to the roofs of residential villas in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE, by Water Seal. "As one of the leading spray insulation companies in UAE, we have experience using all types of foam blowing agents for spray foam," said Muhammad Asghar, Managing Director for Water Seal. "We have found Bayer Pearl's product with Solstice LBA to be the best available polyurethane spray foam solution in meeting sustainability requirements without compromising on insulating properties."

UAE: Bayer Pearl, a polyurethane systems house joint venture between Bayer MaterialScience AG and Pearl Insulation Materials Industries LLC that was established in 2007, plans a significant investment including new technology and production.

Following the relocation of the regional offices and production facilities to Dubai Investment Park, Bayer Pearl has now engaged Amana Contracting and Steel Buildings to build a new state-of-the-art facility at the Investment Park. The new facility is expected to be complete in 2015 and will feature research, development and application laboratories, advanced manufacturing technologies and a demonstration centre.

"The Middle East is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Dubai serves as the ideal base for Bayer Pearl to further strengthen its presence in the region," said Thorsten Eschmeier, CEO of Bayer Pearl. "The site will host offices and operations and is strategically located close to Jebel Ali Port and the new Dubai World Central airport. Furthermore, the new site allows us to expand our competence in developing new applications and manufacturing processes for our materials in close collaboration with our customers."