PHENOLIC INSULATION BOARDS

PF phenolic insulation board(pt,ja,th)s (Phenolic Foam) are lightweight but strong thermosetting plastics and are considered to be one of the best rigid, closed-cell structure materials for thermal insulation at present being up to 50% more effective than other common insulation materials such as PIR. Closed cell content makes it highly resistant to water penetration. In fact, it is non-wicking material. This means that if water enters the insulation system due to the vapour barrier becoming punctured, any moisture ingress is limited and confined to the punctured area. This ensures moisture does not build up and compromise the whole system. Any moisture ingress is limited and confined to the punctured area. As they’re closed cells they shouldn’t absorb moisture or water vapour, unlike open cell products. Phenolic insulation achieves a lambda value of just 0.018 W/mK across all thicknesses. High density boards have a good compressive strength and are suitable even for floors. Phenolic foams are produced with densities in the range of 35 kg/m³ to 160 kg/m³ and are often used in particularly damp environments such as bathrooms and toilets. Phenolic boards will likely be the most expensive of all the rigid foam insulation options available on market, however being low thermal conductivity insulation enables high levels of thermal performance to be achieved utilising thinner sections of insulation. The exceptionally low thermal conductivity of closed cell phenolic foam boards means that appropriate insulation efficiency can be achieved with the thinnest possible material. Phenolic foam is typically made in 80kg/m3, 120kg/m3 and 160kg/m3 densities. It is produced in board form in various sizes and thicknesses. The most popular thicknesses are 25mm, 50mm and 100mm. 1m2 of the product is capable of supporting the weights: 80 kg/m3 64 tonnes, 120 kg/m3 112 tonnes and 160 kg/m3 225 tonnes. The boards achieve a thermal conductivity (λ–value) of: 0.023 W/m.K (15–24 mm), 0.021 W/m.K (25–44 mm) and 0.020 W/m.K (≥ 45 mm).

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SHORT HISTORY OF PHENOLIC INSULATION

Phenolic insulation became popular in the s as a thin board that could meet the increased energy saving demands of the day and fit within the constrained spaces older buildings offered for insulation. Kingspan, an Irish company has been producing and selling Kooltherm in Europe since , introducing it in the USA in . It was a response to the energy crisis, which called for greater insulation efficiency. As regulations required higher R-value insulation in roofs, a demand arose for material which offered both fire resistance and high R-value, while not requiring a full roofing re-build to accommodate its thickness.

WHAT IS PHENOLIC INSULATION MADE OF?

A wet foam mix is added directly to the bottom layer of facing. It then expands to meet the top layer. This is then cooked under pressure and cured in a second oven. When it’s ready, the phenolic insulation boards are cut to the right size and packaged up. It means that PF board is manufactured by a process in which a plastic foam forms an insulating core between two flexible tissue faced layers. It has a high closed cell content and fine cell structure.

PHENOLIC INSULATION APPLICATION

Phenolic foam is a uniquely versatile material being suitable for a large range of applications. It can be used in a variety of roof, wall and floor applications, which makes it a great solution for a range of constructions. Used extensively in the building industry for a number of application areas including roofing (Unilin Safe-R SR/PR), cavity board (Unilin SR/CW), external wall board (Kingspan K5), plasterboard dry linings systems (Unilin Safe-R SR/TB or Kingspan K118) and floor insulation (Kingspan K103 or Unilin SR/UF Safe-R). Phenolic foam is also used in a number of highly specialised applications including fire doors, highly fire resistant panels and for insulation in surface ships, off-shore installations and submarines. It has also been used in heating, ventilating and air conditioning applications for many years.

PHENOLIC INSULATION FIRE RATINGS

Phenolic insulation boards have the highest fire rating among many organic insulation materials. It can, in an appropriate form, achieve all the European fire certifications - UK Class O and Dutch NEN / Class 1. Generally speaking, the board is fire-resistant, flame-retardant, non-combustible in case of open flame, smoke-free, non-toxic, and non-dropping. In fact, phenolic foam used as composite panels can achieve up to 2 hours fire resistance rating in the 3m furnace test. The fire performance of phenolic foam is exceptional. It combines zero or very low flame spread with negligible smoke emission and a very low level of toxic gas emission. Foam evolves exceptionally low smoke when exposed to fire and is capable of meeting or exceeding all international building regulation requirements. Toxic gas emission from phenolic foam is generally limited to carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide with very low levels of other gases. Phenolic foams can achieve very low toxic gas ratings in tests such as UK Naval Engineering Standard NES 713. The superior fire performance of phenolic foam is being recognised and this is leading to increased market share in these areas.

PHENOLIC INSULATION VS PIR

Phenolic boards have a slightly higher R-value and a slightly thinner profile than PIR boards due to the manufacturing process. While PIR offers the lambda value of 0.022 W/mK, phenolic closed cell foam offers 0.018W/mK. For comparison, Celotex makes polyisocyanurate rigid foam, so perhaps phenolic is only 10% better then PIR. Moreover, PF boards rasp beautifully, where PIR crumbles. However phenolic boards do tend to be more expensive but on other hand offer the thinnest insulation boards for a given specific u-value. As they’re closed cells they shouldn’t absorb moisture or water vapour, unlike open cell products. PIR insulation boards combine thermal efficiency with an economical price point, although the slightly better thermal performance of phenolic foam may justify the increased cost if depth in the floor construction is at a premium.

PHENOLIC INSULATION KINGSPAN AND UNILIN MANUFACTURERS

There are only a few main players on the market - Kingspan® followed by Unilin®. Two of them started their activities in Ireland. Perhaps because many houses in Ireland, particularly those built prior to , were not energy efficient and poorly insulated. Depending on the application, you can choose between:

Soffit phenolic boards | Drylining  | Cavity wall phenolic boards | Florring phenolic boards | Rainscreen  phenolic boards | Roofing phenolic boards | Steel and timber frame

UNILIN®

Unilin SR/CWCavity Wall Insulation Board Xtratherm Safe-R - is a top-class phenolic foam rigid cavity insulation board with a low emissivity foil facings designed for use in traditional masonry walls.

Unilin Safe-R SR/TB Insulated Plasterboard is a combination of premium phenolic insulation core with a composite foil facing bonded to 12.5mm tapered edge plasterboard for drylining internal walls.

Unilin SR/UFSafe-R Phenolic Foam Underfloor Insulation Board – is a top-class rigid phenolic foam insulation board with a low emissivity aluminium foil facings designed for ground supported floors, suspended floors and underfloor heating (UFH).

Unilin Rainscreen Cladding Safe-R SR/RS is a high-class rigid phenolic insulation board with a low emissivity foil facings designed for ventilated rainscreen cladding applications in new build and refurbishment projects.

Unilin Safe-R SR/PR is a high-class rigid phenolic foam insulation board with a low emissivity foil facings designed for pitched roofs, sloped roofs, ventilated roofs, hybrid roofs and warm roofs.

Unilin Soffit Insulation Board  Safe-R SR/ST is a high-class rigid phenolic insulation board with a low emissivity foil facings designed for structural ceiling applications.

Unilin Soffit Plus Insulation Panel Safe-R SR/STP  is a top-class two-in-one composite insulation board which provides an effective thermal and fire performance solution in structural ceiling applications for commercial and residential buildings.

Unilin Framing Board Safe-R SR/FB is a top-class rigid foam insulation board with a low emissivity foil facings designed for use with steel and timber frame applications up to 18m in height.

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KINGSPAN®

The Kingspan Kooltherm K-range comprises the thinnest commonly used insulation products for any specific U-value. With a fibre-free rigid thermoset phenolic core, and a thermal conductivity of 0.018 - 0.023 W/mK, these are the most thermally efficient insulation products commonly used.

K103 Kingspan Kooltherm Floor - is an exceptional performance rigid phenolic foam floor insulation board with a glass tissue facings designed for suspended floors, ground supported floors and underfloor heating systems (UFH).

Kingspan Kooltherm K118 Insulated Plasterboard - Dry Lining Insulated Board is a top-class three-in-one product for internal wall insulation used as mechanically fixed and adhesively bonded 'dot and dab' insulated plasterboard.

Kingspan Kooltherm K5 Phenolic External Wall Insulation Board -  is a high-performance rigid thermal insulation board designed for external wall insulation behind traditional and lightweight polymer modified renders and dry cladding systems.

Phenolic is a high performing alternative duct material that helps HVAC Contractors increase the thermal and duct leakage efficiency of their systems. Using pre-insulated phenolic also means that there is no need for separate ductwork and separate insulation as it is a 2-in-1 solution that does the job of both. For both interior and exterior applications, this duct material can offer many benefits for an installation.

Below are just a few of the many benefits Phenolic duct systems can offer!

Weight Savings - Save Your Energy in the Field

Ductwork made out of rigid phenolic foam can provide significant weight savings on your project. Indoor systems offer the highest savings, with rectangular, round and flat oval systems all capable of providing over a 70% reduction in weight compared with sheet metal wrapped in fiberglass.

High R-Values - Superior Thermal Performance

Phenolic has an excellent thermal performance with some of the best R- values per inch of insulation available on the market .This superior insulating efficiency means that the required R-value can be achieved with thinner insulation that are highly resistant to heat transfer. This results in reduced energy consumption and lower operating costs for your applications. With the increasing pressure of energy codes always moving towards more insulation, Phenolic duct systems provide solutions that don’t only meet today’s code requirements but those of the future too.

Space Saving - Tight Spaces are No Problem!

Phenolic ductwork is pre-insulated, which means it does not require any additional insulation wrapping. Because of this, space requirements are minimal and duct can be installed in tighter places, including flush to ceilings and walls to free up more space where every square inch matters. You may also need fewer hangers to contend with depending on the size of the ductwork.

Lower Air Leakage - Cut Energy Costs

Pre-Insulated phenolic ductwork assembled and installed in line with the SMACNA Phenolic Duct Construction Standards can easily achieve anything between a SMACNA Class 1 and SMACNA Class 3 leakage rating. The long term benefits of this lower air leakage can include reduced runtime on HVAC equipment over the life of the system therefore bigger energy savings, better Indoor air quality with phenolic’s smooth aluminum interior and improved comfort.

UL 181 Listed Safety - 25/50 Fire and Smoke Performance

Some Phenolic Ductwork systems have gone through extensive UL testing to achieve a UL 181 Listed status, starting back in . This is an extensive and rigorous series of tests and ongoing inspections that covers many aspects of safety and product durability - structural testing, pressure testing, mold and bacteria growth, static load and flame and smoke spread, among others.