Insulating Materials for a Livable World · PDF fileMineral wool – an alternative to polystyrene and other foam-plastic rigid ... Old Lyme, Connecticut - Alex Wilson photo . Title:

ADPSR Better Envelope Solutions San Francisco March 19, 2014

Alex Wilson, Founder BuildingGreen

Insulating Materials for a Livable World

Cork insulation being installed in Vermont Photo: Alex Wilson

Importance of insulation

Insulation is good – We want a lot of it – Used to argue the more

the better – From GWP standpoint,

sometimes more harm than good

In colder climates – R-10 under floor slab – R-20 foundation walls – R-40 above-ground walls – R-60 ceilings

Passive House in Palo Alto , CA

Photo: Alex Wilson

Source: Eric Daub

Long-term performance and durability

Moisture dynamics Can be pretty

complicated! Decomposition and decay

Not only of the insulation, but other components

Fire resistance Issue in some

situations R-value drift

Only an issue with insulation using low-conductivity gas fill

Environmental considerations with insulation materials

Tremendous variety of insulation materials – Widely different forms,

properties, environmental characteristics

How do we evaluate insulation materials relative to the environment?

What makes one material better than another?

Relates to both the material and the application

Spray-applied soy-based polyurethane Photo: BioBase

Insulation saves energy—and thus carbon emissions

But the insulation also has GWP associated with it

From embodied energy (all mat’ls)

Far greater GWP in the blowing agents of extruded polystyrene (XPS) and most closed-cell spray polyurethane foam

Net-zero-energy house with 4” XPS wrapped around 2x6 walls with cellulose. Photo: Bensonwood

Hazardous constituents – Global Warming Potential (GWP)

Blowing agents in foam insulation

Global Warming Potential of insulation materials

June 2010 Environmental Building News

Hazardous constituents

Halogenated flame retardants

Styrene Isocyanates Formaldehyde Fiber shedding Mold and

mildew

Tom Lent to cover

12” of XPS used in passive house foundation Jordan Dentz photo

Charlotte, NC landfill

Insulation and the waste stream

Raw materials Recycled content

Recyclable? Can old insulation be

recycled into new insulation – or something else?

Very limited options today

Safe disposal Release of

environmental or health hazards

Especially blowing agents

Embodied energy and carbon

Energy to make and transport the stuff

Larry Strain to cover

Inventory of Carbon & Energy, Univ. of Bath,

Sustainable Energy Research Team

Cellulose insulation – low embodied energy, recycled content

Damp-spray cellulose Photo: EnerSol

High recycled content - over 80%

Better air leakage control than fiberglass batts

Damp spray and dense-pack

With damp-spray, excess captured for reuse

Made with borate flame retardant and/or ammonium sulfate

Cellulose insulation

Damp-spray cellulose – screeding surface Photos: EnerSol

Cotton insulation - recycled content

Bonded Logic factory producing cotton insulation. Photo: Alex Wilson

Bonded Logic factory – photo: Alex Wilson

Bonded Logic now 100% post-consumer

Batts scored for easier cutting

Batts and soundboard

Cotton insulation

Bonded Logic factory, Phoenix. Photo: Alex Wilson

Photos: CertainTeed “Sustainable

Insulation”

Fiberglass - non-formaldehyde products

2002 - Johns Manville introduces acrylic binder

2009 - Knauf introduced Ecose biobased binder

In 2010, CertainTeed introduced its new “Sustainable Insulation” with bio-based binder

2011 – Owens Corning introduced EcoTouch

Spider Spray-fiberglass insulation

Spider Spray-fiberglass insulation

Spray-fiberglass insulation

Polyester batt insulation – no longer made

Vita Nonwoven - EnGuard

Dow Chemical had a product for a year or two – SafeTouch Discontinued

Vita Nonwoven EnGuard 50% recycled

content Discontinued in

2013 Polyester batts meet fire

codes – because of the flawed way the ASTM E-84 test is designed

Wool insulation from Oregon Shepherd

Photo: Oregon Shepherd

Photo: Alex Wilson

Mineral wool – an alternative to polystyrene and other foam-plastic rigid insulation materials

Rockwool International

Growing interest in rigid mineral wool

No flame retardant Totally fire-safe Inert Superb drainage

below-grade Resistant to

termites High recycled

content Contains phenolic

binder, but very low emissions

Thermafiber – now owned by Owens Corning

Photos: Thermafiber

Rigid mineral wool for sub-slab?

Toprock installation in the Vancouver area - Photo: Roxul

Rigid mineral wool

Roxul Toprock or ComfortBoard

Zero GWP

Should be cost-competitive with XPS

Not (yet) recommended for this application

Building officials won’t be familiar with sub-slab applications

Rigid mineral wool for sub-slab?

Photo: Roxul

Perlite loose-fill insulation

DFL Minmet Refractories Corp.

Expanded perlite used in horticulture and as a building insulation

Relatively uncommon today – but attractive environmentally

Over 20 manufacturers Totally inert, firesafe R-value up to R-3.7 per

inch Not related to

vermiculite, which is often contaminated with asbestos

Photo: GAF

GAF EnergyGard Perlite Roof Insulation

2’ x 4’ and 4’ x 4’ sheets; ¾”, 1”, 1½” and 2” thickness

Class 25 fire resistance without flame retardants

Density of 9 lb/ft3

Limited compressive strength

R-value 2.78 per inch

Perlite boardstock insulation

Sub-slab insulation - photo: Alex Wilson

Produced since 1937 Alternative to XPS for

foundations & sub-slab 100% inorganic -

noncombustible without flame retardants

No high-GWP blowing agents

Made in the U.S. and can be shipped anywhere

2-1/2 times as expensive as XPS

Cellular glass: Foamglas

Foamglas – key properties

Properties: Pittsburgh Corning

Moisture absorption: 0.2% Water vapor permeability:

0.00 Combustibility: None High compressive strength:

90 psi for standard material Density: 7.5 lb/ft3

Max. service temp: 900°F, melting point 1,800°F

R-value: 3.4/inch

Photo: Alex Wilson

Foamglas cellular glass

4” installed for sub-slab insulation (R-12) Photos: Alex Wilson


6” layer adhered onto foundation walls with an Ardex polymer cement Photos: Alex Wilson


Ardicote polymer cement waterproofing layer applied to Foamglas. Photos: Alex Wilson

Photo: Alex Wilson.

Invented in the U.S. in the late 1800s

Widely sold here in the 1920s and 30s (Armstrong)

Reintroduced to the U.S. in 2012 - Thermacork

Only ingredient is natural cork

No flame retardants, blowing agents, adhesives, VOCs

R-3.6 per inch

Expanded cork insulation

Cork as a raw material

Photos: Amorim Isolamentos, S.A.

Cork is the outer bark of cork oak (Quercus suber) - native to the Western Mediterranean

Harvested as it was 2,000 years ago

Amorim from Portugal now distributing In the U.S.

Many of it’s cork forests FSC-certified, as are many factories

As synthetic wine stoppers replace natural cork, forests being razed and biodiversity being lost

Photos: Amorim Isolamentos, S.A.


Photo: Amorim Isolamentos, S.A.

Fire-safe without flame retardants

More than one hour to burn through with this test (vs. 6 sec. with HBCD-treated polystyrene)

Downside: there are significant energy inputs, including autoclaving and shipping


Photos: Alex Wilson

Cutting cork insulation – using SIP tools

Photo: Alex Wilson

Installing cork insulation

Photos: Alex Wilson


Photos: Alex Wilson


Photo: Alex Wilson


Photo: Alex Wilson

Pro Clima Solitex Mento 1000 Weather-Resistive Barrier (Housewrap)

Photo: Alex Wilson

Air Sealing from the Interior

Window trim Photos: Alex Wilson

Exterior Strapping and window trim

Cementitious foam - Air Krete

Photo: Air Krete

100% inorganic

Magnesium oxide cement

Inert, noncombustible

Friablility the biggest drawback Requires careful

controls during installation

Air Krete – masonry applications

Photos: Air Krete

Silica aerogel insulation

Photo: Cabot Corp.

Granules of silica aerogel – the lightest-weight solid known

Spongy, translucent

Can be used in glazing (for daylighting)

Also applications as opaque insulation

Aerogel made by Cabot Corp. – branded as Lumira (previously Nanogel)

Silica Aerogel as translucent glazing

From Environmental Building News

Silica Aerogel – turning glazing into insulation

Photo: Cabot Corp.

Silica Aerogel panels – Spaceloft

Aspen Aerogel – Spaceloft.

Cabot’s silica aerogel incorporated into a fiber matrix

Thin layer with high R-value (R-10 per inch)

5 or 10 mm layer can be used in roofing, walls, and other applications

Made by Aspen Aerogel www.aerogel.com

Silica Aerogel panels

Aspen Aerogel – Spaceloft.

Aerogel insulating plaster from Fixit

Photo: Fixit

Newest aerogel insulation option

Swiss company Fixit introduced in 2013; not yet in U.S.

Silica aerogel granules mixed into a lime plaster slurry

R-5.15 per inch

Can be applied in thick layers – 8” or even more

No flame retardant or blowing agent

Requires hard-plaster top coat for protection


Photo: Fixit

Expensive – material cost about $11/sf for 2” thickness

Vapor-permeable

Will it work as an alternative to SPF on foundation walls? (apparently, yet, but a primer made by Fixit is required)

Working on U.S. permitting


Photo: Fixit


Photo: Fixit

HybridShield silicone foam insulation

Photo: NanoSonic, Inc.

Product under development by NanoSonic

Developed initially as a fireproofing coating

Polyorganosiloxane chemistry

Adapting the foaming process to be able to use standard SPF equipment

R-4 per inch; company hoping to raise that

Possible introduction in the fall of 2014, but I think it is still several years away

HybridShield silicone foam insulation


Product skins over like closed-cell SPF

Fire resistance of the foam should be excellent

Company expects good adhesion to bsmt walls using already existing NanoSonic primer

Toxicity issues unknown

HybridShield silicone foam vs. SPF






HybridShield silicone foam R&D


Mycelium insulation from Ecovative Design

Photo: Ecovative Design

Greensulate mushroom insulation

Developed by students at RPI, refined as a business

All-natural, bioegradable

No flame retardants, blowing agents, other additives

Partnering with various companies to develop building insulation products


Co-inventers of Greensulate (left) and current packaging application - photos: Ecovative Design


Photos: Ecovative Design

Vacuum insulation

Photo: Nanopore

Vacuum largely eliminates conduction and convection

Paired with low-e surface to limit radiant heat flow

Hardness of vacuum varies – up to ≈10–4 torr

Performance severely damaged by pin prick

R-30 per inch or higher possible

Most applicable to appliances

Panasonic VIP

Vacuum insulated panels

Dow Corning Vacuum Insulation encased in mineral wool

Our completed house and barn in Vermont

Photo: Alex Wilson

Finished exterior

New Barn Roof

Finished interior

Finished interior

For more information

BuildingGreen’s new in-depth guide to insulation

Comprehensive coverage of insulation material properties, performance, and environmental issues

Special offer for attendees

For information:

BuildingGreen, Inc. 122 Birge Street, #30 Brattleboro, VT 05301 800-861-0954 www.buildinggreen.com

BuildingGreen, Inc.

BuildingGreen offices in the old Estey Organ Factory, Brattleboro

Founded in 1985 In Brattleboro,

Vermont Launched EBN in

1992 15 employees Supported by

subscriptions, book sales, online memberships

Not supported by product mfgrs.

Thank you!

Old Lyme, Connecticut - Alex Wilson photo

Documents

Insulating Materials for a Livable World · PDF fileMineral wool – an alternative to polystyrene and other foam-plastic rigid ... Old Lyme, Connecticut - Alex Wilson photo . Title: