Honeywell’s Solstice LBA Achieves Growing Global Commercial Success

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ – January 7, 2013 – Several system houses in the U.S. have been working on new systems containing the product, either as 100 percent blowing agent or as part of a blend. In the appliance market, the U.S.' Whirlpool uses Solstice. Midea, a major Chinese appliance manufacturer, has also converted lines to use the new blowing agent. More manufacturers are expected to follow.

Solstice is making great strides in gaining acceptance in the Japanese polyurethane market. Honeywell commercialized Solstice in Japan during Q2, 2013, and has already achieved great success with multiple systems houses in various stages of launching commercial systems based on the product.  Solstice is being used to replace water and other HCFC blowing agents in a number of products across the country.

Post Fukushima, there's a great focus on how the country will source its energy needs given the growing demand amongst consumers for more effective insulation. Energy prices have increased in Japan, making the payback time for insulation much shorter. Spray polyurethane foam is well positioned to meet these demands. There are new energy efficiency standards and HSE regulations being prepared, which will also act as drivers for the insulation industry.

The Japanese are more environmentally conscious and still use water-blown foams, but these are not very effective as insulation material, so there has been a lot of interest in the zero GWP and high K values achieved using Solstice. There are several Japanese spray foam manufacturers close to commercializing products using 100 percent Solstice as the blowing agent, while other blends are more popular for other application as a means to balance cost and performance.

Nippon Aqua, a subsidiary company of the leading residential home builder Hinokiya Holdings, is the SPF market leader in Japan with business operations in over 30 locations across the country. Honeywell now supplies Solstice to this company for use into its systems.

"We expect to experience a significant increase in demand for commercial volumes of Solstice starting early in 2014 from customers in the US, China and Japan," explained Rastogi. "Customers are finding the product offers the most cost effective way to achieve new GWP targets and insulation performance. We have a large plant coming on stream to meet this new demand, but we can already supply commercial quantities through our global supply chain."

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About Honeywell: Honeywell International is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit Honeywell's website by clicking the link below.