WALLTITE® Insulating Air Barrier Outperforms on Eco-Efficiency Analysis

The WALLTITE ^® Insulating Air Barrier System from BASF Polyurethane Foam Enterprises LLC outperforms traditional insulation materials in eco-efficiency, according to a recent study conducted by BASF’s lifecycle assessment group.The system - consisting of spray polyurethane foam ( SPF ) in combination with appropriate primers, transition membranes, other sealants and an optional vapor barrier - delivers a unique combination of properties to a highly functional building envelope.

The BASF Eco-Efficiency Analysis uses an award-winning methodology to measure the life cycle performance ¹ , cost, ecological footprint, including energy and raw material consumption, health effect potential, risk potential, emissions and evaluation of land use and transportation fuel usage for a set customer benefit (CB) ² for WALLTITE technology compared with extruded polystyrene (XPS), expanded polystyrene (EPS), glass fiber board and mineral fiber board.

Test Category	WALLTITE®	XPS	EPS	Glass Fiber	Mineral Fiber
Total Life Cycle Cost ($/CB)	$230	$540	$480	$690	$420
Total Material & Insulation Cost ($/CB)	$235.68	$536.37	$478.10	$687.51	$418.59
Total Landfill Costs ($/CB)	$0.01	$0.03	$0.02	$0.03	$0.04
Transportation Fuel Cost ($/CB)	$0.48	$0.99	$0.63	$1.07	$1.62
Energy Consumption (MJ/CB)	2,000 High heat-transfer characteristics Low density Lowest membrane & primer requirements	3,750 Uses most polystyrene Requires full membrane & primer	2,250 Requires full membrane & primer	2,500 Requires full membrane & primer	2,100 Requires full membrane & primer
Raw Materials Consumption (kg*y/CB)	820 Lowest oil & gas consumption among polymeric materials	1,700 Polystyrene, membrane & primer use the most oil & gas	1,000 Uses oil & gas primarily for insulation material	900 Uses less oil, but gas & coal are significant contributors	820 Uses less oil & gas than polymeric materials
Health Effect Potential – Production (score)	17 Less material to produce and transport	31 Polystyrene production and diesel fuel use for transportation	14 Relatively low quantities of material to produce and transport	21 High quantity of material to produce and transport	25 High quantity of material to produce and transport
Health Effect Potential – Use (score)	6.5 Least system material and transport use	12.5 Diesel use has biggest impact during use phase	8.5 Diesel use has biggest impact during use phase	13.5 Diesel use has biggest impact during use phase	20.5 Diesel use has biggest impact during use phase
Risk Potential – Use (score)	17 Requires less system material Uses less flammable primer Lower irritation potential	23.5 Higher labor requirements Higher material requirements	21 Higher labor requirements	29 Classified per IARC Group 2b as a possible human carcinogen High material requirements	33.5 Classified per IARC Group 2b as a possible human carcinogen Listed as Hazardous Air Pollutant under Clean Air Act High material requirements
Risk Potential – Production (score)	26.5 Storage accident risk is higher	20 Transport accident risk slightly higher due to quantity	17 Less material to transport	23.5 Transport accident risk slightly higher due to quantity	23.5 Transport accident risk slightly higher due to quantity
Risk Potential – Disposal (score)	10 Less material to transport	14 Less material to transport than Glass Fiber or Mineral Fiber, more to transport than WALLTITE or EPS	10 Less material to transport	22 Transport accident risk higher due to quantity of material	22 Transport accident risk higher due to quantity of material
Evaluation of Land Use (weighted land use m2/CB/y)	12 Less insulation material & primer required Less solid waste to landfill	25.5 Large quantity of material, membrane & primer required	16 Large quantity of membrane & primer required	19 Large quantity of material, membrane & primer required	24.5 Large quantity of material, membrane & primer required
Blowing Agent Weight %	HCFC -142b: 1% HCFC -141b: 13.1% HFC-245fa: 0% Cyclopentane: 0%	HCFC -142b: 9%	Pentane: 6%	Does not require a blowing agent	Does not require a blowing agent
Eco Portfolio Position (score) using HCFC	0.80	1.35	0.90	1.20	0.95
Eco Portfolio Position (score) Using HFC-245fa as WALLTITE Blowing Agent	0.50	1.45	1.00	1.40	0.90

GRAPH A

shows the Ecological Fingerprint of the systems studied for the Customer Benefit. 1.0 = worst position, better results ordered &1.

In 2005, the BASF Eco-Efficiency Analysis process won three major awards of interest to the building and construction industry: the Design for Sustainability Award (Society of Plastics Engineers), the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and the Best Sustainable Practice Award in the Sustainable Research, Development, Construction Process and Demonstration (Sustainable Buildings Industry Council).

The aim of the eco-efficiency analysis is to compare similar products or processes. This involves carrying out an overall study of alternative solutions to include a total cost determination and the calculation of ecological impact over the entire lifecycle. Holding sustainability to be part of its global mission, BASF Corporation is committed to constant improvements in safety, protection of health and environmental conservation.

In addition to its eco-efficiency performance, the WALLTITE Insulating Air Barrier System can help reduce air leakage by up to 80 percent and improve energy efficiency by up to 40 percent for industrial, commercial and institutional buildings³.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that 40 percent of the energy cost of heating and cooling a building is wasted by uncontrolled air leakage, which also contributes to premature building deterioration, condensation, spalling, ice damming, poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and mold growth. An effective air barrier system substantially reduces both air leakage and the passage of moisture through the building envelope.

The WALLTITE Insulating Air Barrier System is approved by the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA www.airbarrier.org) and eliminates uncontrolled air leakage by providing seamless, monolithic construction, complete system continuity, superior effective insulation R value and virtual air impermeability. Our closed-cell polyurethane technology is unique in the way that it allows design professionals and building owners to specify a material that is engineered to meet and exceed required performance criteria for every code and climate.

These factors combine to increase building energy efficiency and significantly reduce operating cost, while improving occupant comfort, health and safety. The WALLTITE spray-applied system provides the design flexibility to address high-performance building envelope challenges in all types of buildings, including those with unusual shapes and contours.

1 Life cycle analysis calculations set up according to rules and principles of the ISO 14040 ff.

2 Customer benefit= insulation of the exterior of 9 m2 wall surface for a commercial building, with one 0.6 x 1.2 m window, and R-value of 20 ft2*h*F/ (BTU*in) over a period of 25 years.

³ Investigation of the Impact of Commercial Building Envelope Airtightness on HVAC Energy Use, Emmerich, McDowell and Anis. 2005, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

WALLTITE ^® , ZONE 3 ^® and Helping Make Buildings Better™ are registered trademarks of BASF Corporation.

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