Chemical Approvals and tests | Ask Mason Knowles - SPF Consultant | Spray Foam Technical Questions and Answers | SprayFoam Magazine Q&A Forums

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Raymond Brooks Posted: May 21, 2007 12:52 PM	Chemical Approvals and tests Hi Mason...good to see someone stick their neck out as expert. My question comes from the fact that every week I am called on by 2-3 different chemical companies trying to get me to use their foam (int foam). While the performance of the product is important, what concerns me most is the liability of spraying untested, unapproved goo into walls and have it come back to me. So the question is what standards, ICC approvals, Legacy reports, etc. should I be concerned with. So far, if a chemical has one, you need it. If they don't have it, you don't need it. If you could clear the air on this, it would put my mind and any other conscientious installer's mind to rest.
mason Posted: May 21, 2007 03:41 PM	Arbro, There is quite a lot of testing required for a supplier to sell their products into the insulation market place. R value: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires the foam be tested for R-value based on one of three tests, C518, C177 or C 1363. The tests must be conducted on aged foam samples (6 months at ambient temperature or 3 months at high temperature)The supplier must label their R-value based on these test parameters. However, the building codes allow for performance equivalents So, suppliers or organizations can test materials or assemblies in approved manners, submit it to code officials and if the testing is solid, performed by an ICC accredited lab or coordinated by an ICC accredited engineer, you be may able to use thermal performance data instead of the prescriptive labeled R-value. Fore example, the SPF industry is working on developing an acceptance criteria that can measure assemblies for thermal performance at various temperatures with air infiltration. Thermal or ignition barriers: Codes require that all foam plastics must be covered by a thermal barrier unless it is specifically exempted in the codes or it has been tested in room corner fire tests specific to the application. For example, the building codes allow the use of foam insulation in attics and crawl spaces with an ignition barrier (which is defined as 1-1/2 inches of mineral fiber, 1/4 or wood sheathing or paneling, metal sheathing 0.016 inch thick.) Some suppliers have tested intumescent coatings over foam for attics and passed the Southwest Research Institute's attic and crawl space test and have gained ICC evaluation reports allowing this application based on those tests. A couple have even obtained evaluation reports for exposed foam based on the same tests. There is some controversy about the test. Many feel it has too low of a bar to jump over. It compares kraft faced fiberglass as a ignition barrier to the product you are trying to get approvals for. The kraft based fiberglass typically fails at around 2-1/2 minutes. The SPFA Technical Committee is evaluating this test for possible recommendations to the ICC Evaluation Services. More news to come on this issue. Chemical Hazards and MSDS: Each supplier must list on their Material Safety Data Sheets any chemicals that could be harmful and measures to minimize exposure risks, what to do about spills, storage etc. But this covers only the liquid materials and not the cured foam Indoor air quality testing of cured materials: There are tests to measure the emissions of chemicals from cured building products and to date, SPF materials have not demonstrated release of harmful chemicals to the occupants after the foam has cured. But, the industry has not agreed on one specific procedure to measure emissions. The Center for the Polyurethane Industry and SPFA have developed a joint project to test SPF materials in an effort to determine the best test procedure for this. Again, more news to come. My opinion is that cured SPF is safe to use in the building and helps control many indoor air quality problems by providing a great air barrier system, helping to control moisture condensation (and mold growth) and providing a dependable thermal resistance at various temperatures and conditons. I would recommend going to CPI's website and SPFA's website for specific safety and health information on SPF materials and applications. I cannot go into more detail in the limited space available, but these are the type of issues that my consulting business will be assisting suppliers and contractors with in the future.
Gerry Wagoner Posted: May 22, 2007 10:34 AM	They are also required by law to submit an "Insulation fact sheet."

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Comments

Raymond Brooks

Posted: May 21, 2007 12:52 PM

Chemical Approvals and tests

Hi Mason...good to see someone stick their neck out as expert. My question comes from the fact that every week I am called on by 2-3 different chemical companies trying to get me to use their foam (int foam). While the performance of the product is important, what concerns me most is the liability of spraying untested, unapproved goo into walls and have it come back to me. So the question is what standards, ICC approvals, Legacy reports, etc. should I be concerned with. So far, if a chemical has one, you need it. If they don't have it, you don't need it. If you could clear the air on this, it would put my mind and any other conscientious installer's mind to rest.

mason

Posted: May 21, 2007 03:41 PM

Arbro,

There is quite a lot of testing required for a supplier to sell their products into the insulation market place.

R value:
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires the foam be tested for R-value based on one of three tests, C518, C177 or C 1363. The tests must be conducted on aged foam samples (6 months at ambient temperature or 3 months at high temperature)The supplier must label their R-value based on these test parameters. However, the building codes allow for performance equivalents
So, suppliers or organizations can test materials or assemblies in approved manners, submit it to code officials and if the testing is solid, performed by an ICC accredited lab or coordinated by an ICC accredited engineer, you be may able to use thermal performance data instead of the prescriptive labeled R-value. Fore example, the SPF industry is working on developing an acceptance criteria that can measure assemblies for thermal performance at various temperatures with air infiltration.
Thermal or ignition barriers:
Codes require that all foam plastics must be covered by a thermal barrier unless it is specifically exempted in the codes or it has been tested in room corner fire tests specific to the application. For example, the building codes allow the use of foam insulation in attics and crawl spaces with an ignition barrier (which is defined as 1-1/2 inches of mineral fiber, 1/4 or wood sheathing or paneling, metal sheathing 0.016 inch thick.) Some suppliers have tested intumescent coatings over foam for attics and passed the Southwest Research Institute's attic and crawl space test and have gained ICC evaluation reports allowing this application based on those tests. A couple have even obtained evaluation reports for exposed foam based on the same tests.

There is some controversy about the test. Many feel it has too low of a bar to jump over. It compares kraft faced fiberglass as a ignition barrier to the product you are trying to get approvals for. The kraft based fiberglass typically fails at around 2-1/2 minutes. The SPFA Technical Committee is evaluating this test for possible recommendations to the ICC Evaluation Services. More news to come on this issue.

Chemical Hazards and MSDS:
Each supplier must list on their Material Safety Data Sheets any chemicals that could be harmful and measures to minimize exposure risks, what to do about spills, storage etc. But this covers only the liquid materials and not the cured foam

Indoor air quality testing of cured materials:
There are tests to measure the emissions of chemicals from cured building products and to date, SPF materials have not demonstrated release of harmful chemicals to the occupants after the foam has cured. But, the industry has not agreed on one specific procedure to measure emissions. The Center for the Polyurethane Industry and SPFA have developed a joint project to test SPF materials in an effort to determine the best test procedure for this. Again, more news to come.

My opinion is that cured SPF is safe to use in the building and helps control many indoor air quality problems by providing a great air barrier system, helping to control moisture condensation (and mold growth) and providing a dependable thermal resistance at various temperatures and conditons.

I would recommend going to CPI's website and SPFA's website for specific safety and health information on SPF materials and applications.

I cannot go into more detail in the limited space available, but these are the type of issues that my consulting business will be assisting suppliers and contractors with in the future.

Gerry Wagoner

Posted: May 22, 2007 10:34 AM

They are also required by law to submit an "Insulation fact sheet."

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