Manufacturers of Building Insulation Now Have A "Green" Alternative

Manufacturers of building insulation now have a "green" alternative to formaldehyde in the production of fiberglass batting. Aquaset(TM) acrylic thermosetting binders from Rohm and Haas enable manufacturers to produce high-quality, cost-effective insulation that is indistinguishable in performance from insulation made using formaldehyde resins.

Water-based Aquaset acrylic technology represents a sustainable chemistry that is non-combustible, non hazardous, recyclable and non-flammable - characteristics earning it a 1-0-0 safety rating from the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA). Insulation manufacturers using Aquaset binders can dramatically reduce or even eliminate exposure to emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This is because Aquaset binders produce only water during the curing process, in contrast to traditional binders that emit compounds such as formaldehyde, methanol, phenol, and ammonia during cure, and continue to emit formaldehyde during shipping, storage, installation and throughout the product's lifecycle in the home.

Additional environmental and production benefits Environmentally advanced Aquaset technology also offers additional advantages to manufacturers of fiberglass insulation. Specifically, water- based Aquaset acrylic technology:

• Eliminates the energy, cost and equipment associated with handling emissions from traditional binders including the need for thermal oxidizers that generate the greenhouse gases
• Eliminates the need for auxiliary chemicals such as urea, used to control formaldehyde during the manufacturing process
• Enables production lines to run at the same or higher speed
• Reduces the amount of particulates in the work environment
• Reduces energy consumption and increases convenience, since Aquaset resins don't require refrigeration, remain stable at room temperature, and are diluted with just water
• Results in insulation batting with compressibility, moldability and recovery that is comparable to, or better than, insulation produced with formaldehyde resins

Successful first-hand experience
A major North American insulation manufacturer has experienced first-hand the benefits of Aquaset acrylic thermosetting technology. After adopting the Aquaset technology, they became the only manufacturer in the United States exempted from the EPA's National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Wool Fiberglass Manufacturing. The firm reduced plant formaldehyde emissions by more than 200,000 pounds, ammonia by more than one million pounds, and eliminated phenol and methanol emissions completely. Canadian environmental agencies have also taken note: insulation made using Aquaset resin became the only bonded fiberglass insulation eligible for Environment Canada's prestigious Environmental Choice EcoLogo Program.