Flame Seal and BioBased 501w® Pass Ignition Barrier Test

HOUSTON, TEXAS - March 2, 2011 - Flame Seal Products, Inc. and BioBased Technologies®, makers of BioBased Insulation®, have created a polyurethane foam insulation system that has passed the new Appendix X, modified NFPA286 room corner test with the thinnest coating in the industry, claims the manufacturer. 

The test was performed at Intertek in Elmendorf, Texas, and included a system with 11.5 inches of BioBased 501w® open cell spray foam insulation in the walls and ceilings and only 4 wet mils (3 dry mils) of Flame Seal-TB™  intumescent coating.

“It was a pleasure working with the professionals at BioBased Insulation®, and the result of this collaboration speaks for itself,” said Michael D. Kiser, president of Flame Seal Products, Inc. “This is a first in the spray polyurethane foam insulation industry, and it proves what we had been stating for some time, that we were capable of passing the ignition barrier test with a much thinner coating, and now we have. 

“In fact, this represents about one third of the coating thickness used in prior tests. Now BioBased Insulation® and Flame Seal can offer the construction industry a tested ignition barrier that will provide a tremendous savings over other options. This represents quite a leap in performance for this market.”

A quick survey of the industry currently shows that, on average, 12 wet mils is the coating thickness for most spray foam products. Until now the minimum coating thickness to pass the Appendix X test was 8 wet mills. 

BioBased 501w® passed the test previously with another product installed at 11 wet mils (6 dry mils) over 5.5 inches of foam in the walls and 11.5 inches of foam in the ceiling.

“We are excited about passing this test with such a thin coating of Flame Seal-TB™,” said Chris Porter, technical manager for BioBased Technologies®. “This thinner coating will make application easier, faster and more cost effective for our installers.”

BioBased Insulation® is manufactured by BioBased Technologies®, an Arkansas-based company focused on bringing to market spray foam products that increase energy efficiency and that integrate rapidly renewable materials. Open and closed cell spray foam products that are water- and chemical-blown are available under the BioBased Insulation® brand.

Flame Seal Products, Inc., a Texas-based company, is at the leading edge of intumescent coating technologies, a fact best demonstrated by its standing as a Qualified Boeing Supplier in the aerospace industry, and by its development of that industry’s best fire retardant for leather upholstery in aircraft.

Recently, Flame Seal has begun providing the foam insulation industry with some of the best solutions for the enhancement of plastic foam insulation products to not only meet, but exceed all code requirements, primarily those dealing with the difficult thermal barrier and ignition barrier codes issues. This latest development is a strong step in refining the level of efficiency and added value that Flame Seal and BioBased Insulation® will provide to this growing market.