Our goal is to provide the highest quality materials at affordable prices!
Polyiso is the best insulation money can buy.
this page is to help you understand why.
How is Polyiso made?
Manufacturing Process of Polyiso Insulation Products:
Polyiso insulation products are manufactured by PIMA member facilities across North America. The manufacturing process entails several key steps, outlined below to provide industry stakeholders with a general understanding, though operational specifics may vary among manufacturers.
Overview:
Detail of Manufacturing Process:
- Raw Material Unloading and Storage:
- Raw materials are delivered to the manufacturing plant via bulk shipment methods such as rail cars or large totes.
- Upon arrival, materials are unloaded and stored in on-site tanks or totes.
- Facer Unwind:
- Rolls of facer material are loaded onto the lamination line.
- Two rolls of material are unwound and fed towards the laminator to form the top and bottom layers of the final product.
- Compounding:
- Raw materials are compounded and heated to form the polyol or B-side component of the product formulation.
- Isocyanate or A-side components are separately heated and transferred.
- Mixing Head and Pour Table:
- A-side and B-side components are mixed with the blowing agent at the mixing head.
- The mixture is applied through the mixing head applicator onto one layer of facer material.
- Chemical reaction begins, and the second layer of facer material is brought into contact with the foam mixture as it enters the laminator.
- Laminator:
- The chemical reaction transforms the liquid mixture into a rigid foam core as it moves through the laminator.
- Laminator controls thickness, cell formation, curing, and facer adhesion.
- Adjustments can be made to create tapered characteristics for finished polyiso boards.
- Trim and Cutting:
- Continuous process requires trimming and cutting after exiting the laminator.
- Cross-cut saw and gang saw are used to cut material to desired lengths.
- Robot Stacker:
- Conveyor system moves polyiso boards through trimming and cutting processes to the robot stacker.
- Initial quality check is performed as boards are stacked in bundles.
- Packaging:
- Stacked bundles are transferred to a hooding machine and individually wrapped with plastic film for secure storage and transport.
- Foot Station and Warehousing:
- Product identification labels are applied to each bundle.
- Forklift transfers bundles to warehouse storage, where polyiso boards complete the curing process.
- Quality Assurance and Control:
- Product samples undergo various quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) tests.
- Tests include initial R-value, compressive strength, and dimensional stability.
- Loading and Shipping:
- Bundles pass QA/QC and are moved to the loading dock.
- Bundles are loaded onto flatbed trucks and secured for transport to job sites or distribution locations.
Why Choose Polyiso?
Summary of Polyiso Benefits and Attributes:
Polyiso insulation offers a range of advantages across various domains:
- Energy Efficiency:
- High R-value per inch compared to alternative insulation materials.
- Enables thinner wall assemblies, reducing material use and associated costs.
- Contributes to energy savings potential up to 47 times the product’s embodied energy.
- Fire Performance:
- Inherent fire resistance due to unique chemical bonds.
- Thermoset material that withstands flame exposure without melting or dripping (ASTM E84).
- Reduces the risk of fire-related incidents.
- Environmental:
- Contains blowing agents with zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and low global warming potential (GWP).
- Recyclable where permitted and incorporates recycled content (varies by product).
- Industry-wide Environmental Product Declaration reports available.
- Ease of Use:
- Lightweight and easy-to-cut boards reduce labor costs and installation time.
- Compatible with various roof and wall coverings, adhesives, and attachment systems.
- Offers direct-to-deck attachment option for steel deck roofs (FM 4450/UL 1256).
- Economic:
- Meets current code-required R-values without the need for additional layers or thicker assemblies, minimizing costs.
- Available in a variety of thicknesses and dimensions to suit different project needs.
- Reduces the potential for problems associated with air and moisture intrusion, contributing to long-term cost savings.
- Other Attributes:
- Published Long-Term Thermal Resistance (LTTR) values for roof insulation products.
- Third-party testing approvals for a wide range of assemblies and applications.
- Versatile insulation solution for NFPA 285-compliant wall assemblies.
- Reduces thermal bridges in roofs and walls compared to cavity insulation alone.
- Contributes to overall assembly durability and long service life.
- Offers continuous insulation solution for the entire building envelope.
- Wall insulation can replace the need for separate air and water barrier products.
- HD cover boards protect the investment and may reduce maintenance costs.
- Regionally available through a nationwide network of manufacturing plants.
History of Polyiso
Polyisocyanurate (polyiso) insulation emerged in the late 1970s, a time when its production involved chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), notably CFC-11, as blowing agents. However, concerns arose globally about Ozone Damaging Substances (ODS), fearing their impact on the ozone layer, which shields us from harmful UV radiation. In 1985, the Vienna Convention addressed this, leading to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, aiming to phase out ODS production. By 1996, CFC production ceased in developed nations, and thanks to such efforts, ozone layer recovery is projected by the mid-21st century.
For polyiso and the roofing industry, this posed challenges, leading to the formation of the Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA) in a collaborative effort to find CFC alternatives. Transitioning away from ozone-depleting substances became a priority, and by 2002, the industry embraced non-ozone depleting alternatives.
Benefits and Uses:
Polyiso became a favored choice in commercial roofing insulation and building envelopes, offering numerous advantages:
- High R-value per inch, making it efficient in commercial construction.
- Cost-effectiveness, achieving required R-values while minimizing space, material, and labor costs.
- Strong fire performance, especially evident in products like IKOThermTM III.
- User-friendly, with a wide range of tested, approved, and code-compliant applications.
- Stable across temperatures (-100°F to +250°F), suitable for various roof systems.
- High compressive strength, low water absorption, and vapor transmission, ensuring durability.
- Compatible with most construction adhesives, facilitating ease of installation.
Polyiso in Roofing:
Polyiso is widely used in low slope commercial roofing, offering versatility across modified bitumen, built-up, or single-ply roofing systems. Its features, including high strength facers and thermal properties, make it ideal for reducing heating and cooling costs. With continuous improvements, polyiso boasts extensive code approvals and remains the sole foam plastic insulation approved for direct application to steel decks without a thermal barrier. Additionally, it excels in fire performance tests, ensuring safety and reliability in roofing applications.
How can polyiso be used?
Polyisocyanurate (polyiso) insulation is a versatile material with a wide range of potential uses in various applications. Some of the common uses for polyiso include:
- Commercial Roofing Insulation: Polyiso is widely used as insulation for low-slope commercial roofs. It provides excellent thermal resistance, helping to reduce heating and cooling costs in buildings.
- Residential Roofing Insulation: Polyiso can also be used in residential roofing applications, providing effective insulation for pitched or sloped roofs.
- Wall Sheathing: Polyiso can serve as insulation for exterior walls, helping to improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings.
- Building Envelope Insulation: Polyiso can be used as part of the building envelope insulation system to provide thermal insulation and air barrier properties, enhancing the overall energy performance of a structure.
- Under Concrete Slabs: Polyiso insulation boards can be installed under concrete slabs to provide thermal insulation and moisture resistance in below-grade applications.
- Cavity Wall Insulation: Polyiso insulation can be installed within cavity walls to enhance thermal performance and reduce heat loss or gain through exterior walls.
- Pipe and Duct Insulation: Polyiso insulation can be used to insulate pipes and ducts in HVAC systems, helping to prevent heat loss or gain and improve system efficiency.
- Cold Storage Facilities: Polyiso insulation is suitable for use in cold storage facilities, helping to maintain consistent temperatures and reduce energy consumption.
- Industrial Applications: Polyiso insulation can be used in various industrial applications where thermal insulation is required, such as refrigeration units, tanks, and equipment enclosures.
- Transportation: Polyiso insulation panels can be used in the construction of refrigerated trucks, trailers, and shipping containers to maintain temperature control during transport of temperature-sensitive goods.
- Acoustic Insulation: In addition to thermal insulation, polyiso can also provide acoustic insulation benefits, reducing noise transmission between interior and exterior spaces.
- Green Building Projects: Polyiso insulation is often used in green building projects due to its energy efficiency properties and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.
Overall, polyiso insulation offers versatility, durability, and excellent thermal performance, making it a preferred choice for a wide range of building and construction applications.
How is Polyiso Installed?
Certainly! There are several methods for installing polyisocyanurate (polyiso) insulation, depending on the specific application and requirements of the project. Here are some common installation methods:
- Mechanical Attachment: In this method, polyiso insulation boards are mechanically fastened to the substrate (such as roof deck or wall sheathing) using screws or nails. The fasteners penetrate through the insulation into the substrate to secure the insulation in place. Mechanical attachment is often used in roofing and wall applications where additional strength and stability are needed.
- Adhesive Attachment: Polyiso insulation can be adhered directly to the substrate using compatible construction adhesives. Adhesive attachment is a popular method for installing insulation in roofing and wall systems, providing a strong bond between the insulation and the substrate. It is particularly useful for irregular or uneven surfaces where mechanical attachment may be challenging.
- Ballasted Roofing System: In a ballasted roofing system, polyiso insulation boards are loose-laid on the roof deck and then covered with a ballast material such as gravel, pavers, or concrete tiles. The weight of the ballast holds the insulation in place and provides additional wind uplift resistance. Ballasted roofing systems are commonly used in commercial roofing applications.
- Fully Adhered Roofing System: In a fully adhered roofing system, polyiso insulation boards are adhered directly to the roof deck using a compatible adhesive. The roofing membrane is then fully adhered to the top surface of the insulation. Fully adhered roofing systems provide excellent wind uplift resistance and waterproofing, making them suitable for high-wind and low-slope roof applications.
- Hybrid Systems: Hybrid installation methods combine multiple techniques, such as mechanical attachment and adhesive attachment, to achieve specific performance requirements or address project constraints. For example, a hybrid roofing system may use mechanical attachment around the perimeter of the roof and adhesive attachment in the field of the roof.
- Roof Recover Installation: In roof recover applications, new polyiso insulation is installed over an existing roofing system without removing the old roof membrane. The insulation is typically mechanically attached or adhered to the existing roof surface, providing additional insulation and extending the life of the roof.
- Continuous Insulation: Polyiso insulation can also be used as continuous insulation in building envelope applications, where it is installed continuously across exterior walls or roofs to provide thermal insulation and air barrier properties. Continuous insulation helps to reduce thermal bridging and improve energy efficiency in buildings.
These are some of the main methods for installing polyiso insulation, each offering its own benefits and suitability for different applications. The choice of installation method will depend on factors such as project requirements, building codes, and environmental conditions. It's important to follow manufacturer recommendations and industry best practices when installing polyiso insulation to ensure proper performance and durability.