Transcript WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES THE FOAM INDUSTRY’S …

WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
THE FOAM INDUSTRY’S NEEDS FOR HFCs
FOAM INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION
XPS   EXIBA
Phenolic   EPFA
Polyurethane   ISOPA   BING, EPPF
(& Polyisocyanurate)
DESCRIPTION OF EUROPEAN FOAM INDUSTRY
Extruded PS
Boards
Construction
Sheets
Expanded PS
Phenolic
Polyurethane,
(Polyisocyanurate)
Boards, etc
Boards, blocks
Boards, panels,
injection, spray, etc
Flexible foam
Polyolefin
WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
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Blocks
Packaging
Appliances
OCF
Furniture
Transport
THE NEED FOR HFCs IN THE FOAM INDUSTRY
REASON
SECTOR
APPLICATION
TECHNICAL –
INSULATION
VALUE
XPS, Phenolic,
Polyurethane
Boards, Water
Heaters, Trucks and
Reefers
TECHNICAL – FIRE XPS, Phenolic,
PERFORMANCE
Polyurethane
(+ PIR)
Boards, Blocks,
Panels
PROCESS SAFETY XPS, Polyurethane
All XPS,
Polyurethane Spray
and Blocks
ECONOMIC
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All where SMEs are Boards, Panels,
active
Spray, Commercial
R&F, Water Heaters
INNOVATION IN BLOWING AGENT TECHNOLOGY
EXAMPLE - EU REFRIGERATOR/FREEZERS
CFC II
1989
PFC
Nucleation
X
1993
Vacuum
Panels
“Reduced”
CFC II
HCFC 22
HCFC 142b
HCFC
141 b
HFC
134a
Cyclopentane
Cyclopentane/
Iso Pentane
1998
2002
X
HFC
245fa
HFC
365mfc
Cyclopentane
Iso Butane
PREFERRED TECHNOLOGIES
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 RAPID PACE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE in 10+ years
FOAM INDUSTRY POSITION - 1
• The European foam industry welcomes the proposal of a
Framework Directive as a harmonised approach.
• The European foam industry is now in the final stages of phasing
out HCFCs: the current low usage of HFCs is likely to increase
when replacing certain uses of HCFCs.
• Use of HFCs, as HCFC-replacements, will only be in those
applications and sectors where non-fluorinated alternatives are not
technically, economically or environmentally viable. They will be
limited to the insulating foam sectors plus minor and short term
use in elastomers including integral skin transportation safety
foams.
• The diverse nature of the foam industry means that a particular
blowing agent which is suitable for one application may be totally
unsuitable for another.
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FOAM INDUSTRY POSITION - 2
• Innovation will continue and it is expected that usage and
emissions of HFCs will not grow significantly for the medium to
long term.
• Insulating foam has a major further potential to improve the energy
efficiency of buildings and appliances and so reduce the emissions
of CO2.
• The essential use pattern of HFCs will become clear by 2004/2005
including the sectors involved, types of HFCs and the details of
their usage per unit of foam.
• The foam industry will report HFC usage and estimated emissions.
It will develop use and emissions profiles per sector including
sectoral choices and substitution ratios. It will establish
programmes for the verification of emissions in practise which will
cover the production, use and end-of life phases. It will develop
emission reduction targets with consideration of the baseline
emissions as stated in the ECCP Final Report for Fluorinated
Gases.
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LIFE CYCLE OF INSULATION FOAMS
• Production phase - processes minimise emissions
 strong economic incentive!
• Use phase - typical use phase is 15 to 50 years




blowing agent also serves in role as insulating gas
closed-cell foam morphology retains blowing agent in foam
emissions in use phase are low
year-on-year energy saving performance
• Majority of blowing agent is retained in the foam until
the end of its life
 several opportunities and technologies to prevent emissions
 HFC-based foam will come to end-of-life phase from 2020
onwards
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PREVENTION OF END-OF-LIFE EMISSIONS
IN FOAMS - TECHNOLOGIES
• Technologies have been developed and facilities are
in place in many countries for resource recovery of
plastics
 physical processes
 chemical processes
 incineration with energy recovery
• Key step in all technologies is separation for
destruction (or recycling) or direct destruction by
incineration of the blowing agent
• Incineration is approved by Parties to the Montreal
Protocol as highly effective in ODS destruction
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PREVENTION OF END-OF-LIFE EMISSIONS IN
FOAMS - PARALLEL LEGISLATION ON PRODUCTS
• Proposal for a Directive on WEEE (COM(2000)347)
requires material recovery and recycling of domestic
refrigerators and freezers from 2006 - final Directive
expected H2 2002
 requires HFCs to be extracted and destroyed or recycled
• Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation EC
2037(2000) requires collection for destruction of ODS
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BLOWING AGENTS FOR RIGID FOAM
PRODUCTION
• LIQUID HFCs  Good Insulation Value, High GWP,
Cost
• HFC 134a  Moderate Insulation Value, Poor
Solubility in Formulations, High GWP
• HC  Moderate Insulation Value, Higher Density,
Flammability in Production (including pre-blends)
and Use, VOC Emissions, Low Cost
• CO2  Poor Insulation Value, High Density, High
Material Usage
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RIGID FOAM BLOWING AGENTS
SUMMARY OF ISSUES
HFC
Economic
Technical
Environmental
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“Liquid” HFC
Cost &
Availability
HC
Safety
investment cost
– esp for SMEs
Pre-mixed PU
formulations
Insulation
Insulation
performance
performance
(HFC 134a)
Foam density
Solubility (HFC Fire properties
134a)
GWP
VOC
CO2
Cost of thicker
foam
Insulation
performance
Material
intensity
BLOWING AGENTS AND ODS PHASEOUT
CFC
HC
HCFC
HFC
XPS, Phenolic, PU Rigid,
PU Elastomers
HC
PU Rigid, PO
CO2
XPS, Flexible & integral
skin PU foam
EPS
• The foam industry has been proactive, responsible and innovative in
achieving quick ODS phase-out (NB - CFCs had very high GWPs)
• Within a sector, the replacement technology which is suitable for one
application in one market is not necessarily suitable for that application
in another market or for another application in the same market
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ROLE OF INSULATION IN SAVING
ENERGY AND CO2 EMISSIONS
 Rigid foams are used to insulate buildings, pipes
and refrigerators and freezers
 In buildings more insulation and other measures
could yield a reduction of about 400 mte CO2 - eq in
emission per annum by 2010
 Proposal for Directive on Energy Performance of
Buildings COM(2000)226 is a first step
 For domestic refrigerators and freezers revision of
96/57/CE is proposed for 2005/6 (COLD 2)
 Use on HFCs will in the installation of insulating
foams in a greater range of applications
WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
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