The whole truth about polyurethane

Polyurethane foam has been under indiscriminate attack for some time now, creating a number of myths in an attempt to discredit it.

FORMULACIONES, S.A. wants to tell you the whole truth about polyurethane because we believe that polyurethane foam has enough arguments on its own to not need to lie or slander about other insulation materials.

NO. As is well known, the polyurethane is a product that is formed from the reaction of two liquid substances: isocyanate (or MDI) and the polyol. Once the polyol reacts with the isocyanate to form a solid compound completely inert, which does not emit any harmful substances and does not degrade to form compounds that are harmful to health.

The foam from polyurethane is a safe building material for the home that provides very good performance.

The polyurethane is used in many everyday items and even in surgical instruments, so it cannot be very harmful to health.

The manufacturing system of the components of our polyurethane  is environmentally compatible:

• Isocyanate: is produced from oil refining waste, using a residue to produce a product instead of dumping it in a landfill, thus reducing the environmental impact.
• Polyols: are obtained from agricultural waste or recycled products, so their origin cannot be labelled as environmentally harmful.

On the other hand, the gases that FORMULACIONES uses in its POLIFORMA 324, POLIFORMA 424 and POLIFORMA 524 systems are regulated by international regulations and the Kyoto Protocol, so their use is permitted in the European Union.

Using polyurethane as an insulator = energy savings 

Insulating a house prevents the heat that is being generated from escaping to the outside and the cold from penetrating. This results in quite substantial energy savings, which translates into a reduction of CO₂. If these savings are multiplied by the long service life of the foam polyurethaneemissions, we obtain a highly positive balance in emissions.

Use our APP to calculate energy savings

In the FORMULATIONS App it is possible to calculate the energy savings of an insulated home with our foam using the energy calculator. You can compare the energy consumption before and after renovation with the selected product and determine the insulation capacity of our products compared to others.

There are two types of calculation: for new construction and for refurbishment. This calculation is based on the physical parameters defined in the Technical Building Code and the LIDER-CALENER Unified Tool (HULC).

You can download it by clicking here for the iPhone system: https://itunes.apple.com/es/app/google/id1206109847?mt=8  and for Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.formulaciones.app

New line of eco-sustainable products ECOFORMA

We are currently developing a new product line, the ECOFORMA family, made from sustainably sourced raw materials without any reduction in performance.

This question can only be answered with a NO.. A flammable product is a product that burns when mixed with air or in the presence of a spark. In addition, if a flammable substance is heated very much, it can burn without the need for a flame. Examples of such substances are gasoline, natural gas or alcohol.

Another concept is that of "combustible product". A combustible substance is a substance that burns in the presence of a flame. The difference between one concept and the other is the difficulty of burning. Wood, cork and in general any organic compound, including ourselves, are combustible. The foam from polyurethane is an organic compound and is no exception to the above.

In the case of the polyurethaneThe flame is usually placed between two construction materials that are non-combustible. This means that the flame does not reach the polyurethane and therefore will not burn.  Ultimately, although the polyurethane has a Euroclass E, the system to which it belongs reaches Euroclasses between F or B-s1, b0.

Another point in favour of the polyurethane is that it is self-extinguishing. Al polyurethane an anti-ignition substance is added which means that when a flame is ignited, it stops burning quickly so that it only chars on the surface and forms a protective layer on the core.

In short, in addition to not being a fire starter, the foam from polyurethane is also not a fire spread agent, and once the other outbreaks have been extinguished, the polyurethane switches itself off.

It is NOT true that the polyurethane is the cause of condensation. The polyurethane is impermeable to the passage of water, but permeable to the passage of water vapour. This means that it prevents water from the outside from penetrating into the inside and at the same time allows the wall to breathe, preventing condensation.

Such condensation can be due to poor application of the product or the introduction of an unsuitable element. An example is when the walls are smeared and then the product is applied. polyurethane. The right thing to do is to apply the polyurethane directly on the brick This will not only improve the quality of the adhesionIn this case, there is no element that acts as a vapour barrier and generates condensation.