Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

Germany: The Central German Architects' Day took place in Apolda, Thuringia, in October 2024. The event included in-depth discussions on possible uses of regionally available alternative raw materials in insulation production. Stern Online News has reported that avenues for exploration include a novel load-bearing straw-based insulation developed at the Bauhaus University Weimar in Thuringia.

UAE: A researcher team at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) has developed a novel bio-polyester insulation based on polyhydroxybutyrate derived from date pits. The material has a thermal conductivity of below 0.1W/mK, with 80MPa compressive strength and 6 – 14MPa tensile strength. EurekAlert News has reported that the materials is also below 6% water absorbant.

Team leaders Amal Mlhem and Thomas Teklebrhan said that the bio-polyester insulation can lower the CO₂ emissions of commercial insulation and offer a biodegradable alternative.

UK: A team at the University of Exeter in Devon is investigating possible types of insulation for small-scale farms to produce using byproducts from crop harvests. The project, supported by construction engineering firm Local Works Studio, is part of the Ecological Citizens Network. It is intended to bolster rural economies, address industrial labour shortages and advance sustainable construction. Farmers Guide News has reported that an accompanying podcast and other publications will help to generate engagement.

Team leader Caroline Nye said "Participation and employment in a pioneering, environmentally sensitive new industry, centred in the countryside, could foster a closer engagement of deprived rural communities with the land and bring the benefits of a distributed local economy."

Germany: Bauder has launched BauderECO FF, an 80% biomass polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation for flat roofs. Construction Management News has reported that the product offers 75% reduced CO₂ compared with conventional PIR insulation, and is compatible with the Bauder Total Roof System and Thermofol warm roof waterproofing products.

Germany: Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research have developed a novel insulation from fungal mycelium. Professional Engineering News has reported that the materials are naturally woven by the mycelium filaments by which fungi spread. Researchers successfully varied fungus type, feed and environmental conditions to produce a range of performance characteristics comparable to conventional expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation. Additionally, the materials offer high fire resistance and moisture regulation.

US: Carlisle Construction Materials has awarded a contract to Germany-based polymers producer Covestro to supply its 99%-reduced CO₂ bio-circular methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Carlisle Construction Materials plans to use the materials in its polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation boards. Covestro says that it will supply its Mondur CQ 489 product, which will be suitable for use across Carlisle Construction Materials’ Hunter Panels, SynTec, Versico and WeatherBond product ranges. The supplier says that switching to this MDI will save 2.4t of CO₂ emissions per tonne used.

Carlisle Construction Materials president Steve Schwar said "Carlisle Construction Materials has always been at the forefront of developing high-performance construction products that lead the way in sustainability. With our new bio-based rigid foam insulation, we are demonstrating our unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility, while ensuring that our customers have access to the most advanced building materials available. Our partners play a pivotal role in the realisation of our bio-based isolation."

Covestro’s head of performance materials Hermann-Josef Doerholt said "Covestro’s vision to become fully circular requires research and development advancements that directly support the Scope 3 goals of our customers like Carlisle. Covestro has some of the most aggressive sustainability and climate targets in the chemical industry, and the further we progress in developing solutions to achieve them, the more the effects resonate along the supply chain.”

Austria: Strabag has acquired hemp insulation producer Naporo Klima Dammstoff from Synthesa. SeeNews has reported that Strabag expects the acquisition to help it to expand its product range in line with its 2040 decarbonisation target. Meanwhile, Naporo Klima Dammstoff says that it will work with Strabag to explore new applications for its products, including in green roofs and as acoustic insulation.

Synthesa managing director Georg Bluemel said “In Strabag, we have found a partner who will continue to write Naporo’s success story in the future. We look forward to additional growth prospects for the company and its employees.”

Australia: Murray Industrial Hemp has announced plans for an upcoming hemp-based building materials plant in Barham, New South Wales. Its products will include alternative insulation panels. Local press has reported that all of the plant’s products will align with Australia's new 7-Star Building Standards for energy-efficient homes. Murray Industrial Hemp expects to commission the plant by early 2026.

Director Joe D'Alo said "We believe industrial hemp holds the key to transforming how Australia builds. Our goal is to assist mainstream builders, enabling them to seamlessly integrate hemp building products into their standard processes. The building process doesn’t change with hemp blocks and hemp panels."

France: Groupe Berkem and Soprema have launched Pavatex, a wood fibre-based insulation panel. Groupe Berkem says that it developed a bio-based polyphenolic fungicide for use in the panel. The partners say that development of the product took 30 months.

Groupe Berkem chair and CEO Olivier Fahy said “The development of a unique solution that meets the needs of the market is the result of the collaboration between our two groups and the pooling of our technical expertise. For Groupe Berkem, this collaboration agreement is part of our continuous commitment to supporting the transition of chemical substances to eco-responsible and bio-based solutions.”

UK: Edinburgh-based bio-insulation company IndiNature is preparing to build a Euro4.4m production plant at Hawick in southern Scotland. The company is currently in talks with Scottish Borders Council, contractors and others about the project, according to the Southern Reporter newspaper. The 2600m3 plant is set to create 30 jobs. It is hoped that the new unit will be ready by the end of 2020. IndiNature manufactures its rigid IndiBoard and IndiTherm batts insulation products from plant-based materials.