"Nanocomposite foam research is breaking new ground," said George Kiemle, president of the insulating systems business at Owens Corning. "It could revolutionize architectural design, dramatically reduce energy consumption and open new markets to lightweight structural foam materials."
The construction industry uses rigid plastic foams extensively because they are lightweight and good insulators. But the foams are often made using hydrocarbon chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) as blowing agents - gases that can damage the ozone layer and are due to be phased out. What's more, Owens Corning says that foams that are currently produced using ozone-friendly gases tend to be less good at thermal insulation because such gases have higher thermal conductivities than HCFCs.
Owens Corning aims to develop microcellular, nanocomposite rigid foam building materials that are not only manufactured using environmentally benign blowing agents but also have higher strength and thermal insulation performance than existing materials. The company hopes to achieve this by using nanoparticle additives, new processing technology and by changing the polymer blend. This should give better control over the size and structure of the gas cells in the foam, improving strength, insulation and fire retardance.
The funding comes from the Advanced Technology Program of the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. Ohio State University will provide expertise in nanocomposite process development and modelling and testing services.