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It’s Official: Spray Polyurethane Foam Is “In”
By Jessica Baris
There’s no question about it: Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) products and services are in. SPF’s upward climb was apparent at the Polyurethanes 2010 Technical Conference, which was held October 11-13 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Day two of the conference paid plenty of attention to SPF. Here’s a quick overview of the who’s and what’s, which may be of interest to those who have a stake in the business of SPF.
Health and Safety—A Number One Topic
 The morning Health, Safety and Environment session on day two included five SPF-driven presentations. Bayer MaterialScience presented recommendations for re-occupancy of a structure after an SPF application. For its Bayseal OC and Bayseal CC, Bayer recommends 12 hours following the end of spraying for trade workers and 24 hours for all others, including residents and tenants.
Honeywell presented a paper on the monitoring of HFC-245fa exposure in SPF applications. Huntsman followed with a paper covering the different types of SPF trimming and cutting tools and the level of particulates generated while using each type. The result was that the pneumatically-powered foam planer generated the most dust, followed by the sander. This suggests that the hand saw and hand scrapers are the optimal trimming and cutting tools—they generate fewer particulates, which reduces clean-up time and the risk of inhaling particulates.
Respiratory protection was covered in a talk by the American Chemistry Council, which gave guidance on respirator selection for spray foam applicators and helpers. The morning session concluded with a presentation by a BASF representative who informed audience members of CPI’s revamped Health & Safety Website, www.spraypolyurethane.org. The site is organized into four main sections: SPF contractors, weatherization professionals, do-it-yourselfers, and homeowners.
SPF applicators can visit the site to download the Health and Safety Product Stewardship Workbook for High-Pressure Application of SPF. The workbook contains useful and easy-to-find information on topics such as A- and B-side chemical properties and exposure risks, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), “green” marketing claims, hazard communications, and full personal protective equipment (PPE) for both interior and exterior applications.
SPF Moving Forward in Construction
The afternoon construction session opened with a talk by Mason Knowles of Mason Knowles Consulting. In his presentation, “The Use of ccSPF in High-Performance Wall Assemblies,” Knowles highlighted the benefits of high-performance wall assemblies, including enhanced energy performance, providing an air barrier, reducing thermal bridging (especially for exterior applications), and providing high R-values in extreme climates.
 “Many groups try to define ‘high-performance buildings’ without giving examples of how to achieve them,” said Knowles. “This presentation was designed to provide significant examples of how wall assemblies can be designed to help achieve high-performance building goals.”
Honeywell International presented “Continuation of Next Generation (LGWP) of Blowing Agents for SPF Applications.” The session wrapped up with papers on “Novel Catalytic Additive for Water Blows SPFs,” “Reducing Environmental Impact for Spray Foam Systems,” and “The Detection of Stud Line Cracking in Metal Stud Walls.”
On the final day of the conference, representatives from key agencies convened for an SPF panel presentation. Panelists were Kurt Riesenberg, executive director of the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA), James Chapman of Bayer MaterialScience, David Marlow of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Karyn Schmidt of the American Chemistry Council, and Carol Hetfield of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Hetfield said that “green” jobs are not good jobs unless they are safe. Two questions brought up during the panel session seemed to forecast major areas of focus for the industry: (1) When can occupants safely re-enter a building after an SPF application? And (2) How can we firmly establish hazard communications and training for SPF applicators, helpers, do it-yourselfers, and homeowners?
Panelist Marlow of NIOSH established that the industry needs to further develop engineering strategies to control the spray area, establish ventilation systems for enclosed areas, and determine the amount of time that is needed to re-enter spray areas without personal protective equipment. Marlow pointed out that SPF is sometimes not completely cured during the trimming phase, so isocyanates can still be present, and they present a health risk.
Bayer MaterialScience’s James Chapman discussed industry topics that are in need of further research, including consumer exposure, curing rates, long-term stability of SPF, the deconstruction of buildings (and what happens to torn-down foam), and skin exposure.
Kurt Riesenberg of SPFA spoke about the SPFA Accreditation Program for contractors. “Training and education is the great equalizer,” he said. “If you have companies X and Y and they both have the same track record, good references, and a good product, but one has no certification and one has nationally recognized credentials, which will you choose? It all comes down to proof of education.”
SPF Getting Attention It’s Been Craving
SPF’s prominence at the conference confirms that more eyes and ears are tuning in to the product’s potential. Expect to see more of SPF at the Polyurethanes 2011 Technical Conference in Nashville. For a list of the conference’s award-winning papers and posters, visit www.sprayfoam-mag.com’s home page and find the link under “SPF New Products and Industry News.”
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