Industry First ICC Approval for Spray Polyurethane Foam with a Spray-Applied Thermal Coating
Pittsburgh, April 23, 2009 — BaySystems™, the umbrella brand for the global polyurethane systems operations of Bayer MaterialScience, announced its Bayseal™ CC (closed-cell) spray polyurethane foam has received an International Code Council (ICC) Evaluation Report ESR-2072 which includes approval of Bayseal™ CC spray foam insulation as an alternative to a thermal barrier for ceiling and wall applications, when used in combination with Flameseal TB™ spray-applied thermal coating. This approval is an industry first for spray foam insulation.
Building code requires that insulation used in walls and ceilings have a 15-minute thermal barrier for protection against fire. The most common thermal barrier used is a solid wallboard, such as gypsum board. Now builders have the option of using Bayseal™ CC spray foam in combination with Flameseal TB™ spray coating to insulate safely while meeting code requirements.
“We’re very excited to be the first to offer this innovation to the building industry,” said Renee Zierden, general manager, BaySystems™. “The approval by ICC-ES provides new options to builders and architects. Using a spray-applied alternative to a thermal barrier delivers cost efficiency and ease-of-use in insulation products. Bayseal™ with Flameseal TB™ will be especially useful in applications where a wallboard thermal barrier may be cost prohibitive or in curved or oddly shaped structures where the application of wallboard is a logistical challenge.”
Additionally, ICC-ES reviewed Bayseal™ CC spray foam for use in attic and crawlspace applications where an ignition barrier, but not a thermal barrier, is required. For these applications, ICC-ES approved Bayseal™ CC spray foam for use with either Bayseal™ IC (intumescent coating) or Flameseal TB™ spray coating, in lieu of an ignition barrier, further contributing to ease-of-use for the builder. Traditionally used ignition barrier materials include 3/8-inch gypsum wallboard or 1/4-inch plywood.
The ICC-ES report also confirmed Bayseal™ CC’s excellent aged R-value of 6.9 at one inch and 24 at 3.5 inches and that the material has a vapor permeability rating of less than 1.0 at one inch foam thickness, making it a vapor retarder. This further validates the multi-functionality of Bayseal™ CC spray foam as a premier insulation material, with the added functionality of vapor retarder and air barrier. The vapor barrier function is especially important in hot/humid and cold/dry climates, where condensation and mold can be a problem.
ICC is a nonprofit corporation that conducts technical evaluations of building products, components, methods and materials for regulatory agencies and building product manufacturers. ICC-ES reports help agencies determine code compliance and enforce building regulations, while manufacturers use reports as proof that their products meet code requirements and warrant regulatory approval. The reports are also tools used by building regulators, manufacturers, contractors, specifiers, architects and engineers as confirmation that products and systems are code-compliant.
About BaySystems™:
Bayer MaterialScience has combined its entire global polyurethane systems business under the umbrella brand of BaySystems™. More information about BaySystems™ can be found at www.BaySystemsSpray.com.
About Bayer MaterialScience LLC
Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with nearly 15,100 employees at 30 sites around the world and 2008 sales of 9.7 billion euros. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries.
About Bayer Corporation
Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a subsidiary of Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. In North America, Bayer had 2008 net sales of approximately 8 billion euros (about $12 billion) and employed 17,000 at year end. Bayer’s three subgroups, Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience, improve people’s lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose, prevent and treat diseases; protect crops and enhance yields; and advance automobile safety and durability. For more information, go to www.bayerus.com.
To learn more about Bayseal™ spray foam, visit http://baysystemsspray.com/material-types/bayseal-insulation.html
Contact:
Sean Kelly
Phone: 412-777-5200
E-mail: sean.kelly@bayerbms.com
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our annual and interim reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
