Insulation industry news from Global Insulation

South Korea: LG Hausys plans to increase sales of its phenolic foam (PF) insulation six-fold by 2018, which it produces from its plant in North Chungcheong Province.

"We will see a change in the construction market in Korea," said Kim Myoung-deuk, head of decorative material department. "Many people prefer remodelling their houses and eco-friendly materials will become more popular." LG Hausys's PF insulation has a thermal conductivity of 0.018W/mK, which is about twice as efficient as polystyrene insulator at 0.034W/mK.

LG Hausys began producing PF insulation in October 2013. It aims to post US$12.6m in sales in 2015, up fromUS$7.21m in 2014. Sales are expected to top US$45m by 2018. It is a challenging goal, considering the stagnating construction industry in the country.

"Until now, around 80% of the insulation market has mostly been polystyrene or polyurethane, but a move to materials with higher insulation performance and better fireproofing has been forecast," said the vice president of LG Hausys. "We will be able to achieve this challenging goal." Researchers have estimated that the market share of the high-performance insulator in the global insulation market will increase from 10% in 2015 to >30% by 2018.

LG Hausys plans to focus its business capacity on developing insulation products for fire doors and sandwich panels and expanding to China. The Chinese government is preparing to enforce an energy-saving policy that tightens the insulation level in buildings, especially in the north. Because of this, it is estimated that the Chinese high-performance insulation market will grow more than 50%/yr. "We expect the high-performance insulator market to grow continuously, on policies for fire safety and energy saving and because of growing consumer interest in reducing the cost of heating and cooling," said Myoung-deuk.

Russia: Paroc intends to expand its production in Russia by 1.5 times to 45,000t in 2015. So far in 2015, its capacity utilisation rate is 100%. In 2014, Paroc's Tver plant sold 29,000t of mineral wool.

Paroc is investing US$121m in a new thermal insulation production plant in Tver. The project will be implemented in three stages; 2011 - 2013, 2014 - 2016 and 2017 - 2020. The new plant will produce up to 50,000t/yr of mineral wool.

Germany: HASIT Trockenmörtel GmbH's Fixit 222 Aerogel product, a Cabot Aeorgel-containing insulating plaster material, was recently recognised as one of the most innovative products exhibited at the BAU 2015, a trade fair for architecture, construction materials and systems.

"We are seeing a rise in interest in insulative aerogel coatings and plasters due to increased focus on environmental, energy-efficiency and safety requirements," said Milto Vlachos, general manager of Cabot Aerogel. "We believe that our Aerogel can help customers to reduce energy costs and lower carbon footprints in buildings around the world. Through our technical collaboration with HASIT, we have developed a product that helps customers apply insulation on all types of buildings, including historic façades. It also delivers superior performance compared to similar products on the market today."

The HASIT Fixit 222 Aerogel was recognised for the role that the material can play in reducing the energy consumption of buildings. The material, which is a combination of Cabot's highly-insulating Aerogel and hydraulic lime plaster, has a low thermal conductivity that provides insulation three to four times more effective than conventional insulating plaster. The material meets fire safety and flammability requirements without using environmentally-hazardous flame retardants. It can be prepared and applied manually or with conventional application machines for both indoor and outdoor areas.

Fixit 222 Aerogel can be used for façades worth preserving or with historic building status. The material allows planners, architects and builders the aesthetic and performance advantages of mineral plaster, while setting new standards for both internal and external insulation. It has been used in the Swiss market since 2013 and HASIT began selling Fixit 222 to the German markets in 2014.

Brazil: Elcateq, which manufactures a range of insulation materials for roofing and other construction applications, is eyeing sales of over US$1m in 2015.

"This year's target is US$1m of turnover. In 2012 our turnover was zero, but in three years things have constantly changed for the better," said Elasteq board member Kristian Kahre. Elcateq started production in 2012 and now has a portfolio of nine products. In 2013 Krimelte, Estonia's polyurethane foams and sealants producer, acquired a 40% stake. It now has a majority shareholding.

Kahre said that Elcateq would also consider future expansion. "We need to build up some reserves, but I believe that further expansion is possible, maybe further development of the company within Brazil," said Kahre. "We also might increase production space at some point."

US/Canada: Armacell International SA, which produces flexible insulation foams for the equipment insulation market, has completed the acquisition of Industrial Thermo Polymers Limited (ITP), a producer of extruded polyethylene (EPS) foam products in North America.

"We are pleased and excited to welcome the employees of ITP into the Armacell family," said Thomas Himmel, vice president of the Americas and engineered foams for Armacell. "The acquisition of ITP supports our strategy to expand our manufacturing capability of polyethylene foam products. The Brampton facility will be the base for our future investment into the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam in North America."

ITP was founded in 1980 and maintains headquarters in Toronto, Canada. Under the brand name Tundra, it manufactures self-sealing pipe insulation, insulating foam filler and water toys. In 2014, ITP generated US$23.5m in revenue.