Alporit about to launch halogen-free insulation boards
In the coming year, Alporit AG wants to launch insulation boards on the market that do not require halogens for fire protection. The Boswil-based company was supported in its development by the Hightech Zentrum Aargau and the Fraunhofer Institute.
Alporit AG plans to launch insulation boards made of halogen-free polytrol rigid foam on the market next year. The halogen bromine usually used as a fire protection additive is already no longer accepted by several sustainability labels for environmental reasons, informs the Hightech Zentrum Aargau(HTZ) in a statement. It was involved in the development of the insulation boards together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) in Pfinztal, Baden-Württemberg. A phosphorus-based material is used instead of bromine in the innovative insulation boards produced by Alporit AG, a member of the Zug-based swisspor Group.
“The benefits of the cooperation with the ICT and the HTZ are very high for us,” Volker Brombacher is quoted as saying in the press release. The feasibility study carried out with the help of the research partners gives swisspor a unique selling point, as no comparable products are currently available internationally, says the head of research and development at swisspor AG. Following the successful feasibility study, application-related product tests were carried out and the production of the innovative insulation material was tested on a large-scale plant.
The first product segments are to be launched in 2024. However, the production costs for the hallogen-free insulation material will be higher than for conventional insulation materials by a low double-digit percentage, writes the HTZ. Alporit AG is betting that the gain in sustainability will outweigh the higher production costs.