Boswil AG/Brugg AG/Pfinztal – In the coming year, Alporit AG intends to launch insulation boards on the market that do not use halogens for fire protection. The Boswil-based company was supported in its development by the Hightech Zentrum Aargau and the Fraunhofer Institute.
Alporit AG plans to launch insulation boards made of halogen-free rigid polytrol foam on the market next year. The halogen bromine usually used as a flame retardant additive is already no longer accepted by several sustainability labels for environmental reasons, informs the Hightech Zentrum Aargau(HTZ) in a statement. It was involved in the development of the insulation boards together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology(ICT) in Pfinztal, Baden-Württemberg. A phosphorus-based material is used instead of bromine in the innovative insulation boards produced by Alporit AG, a production company belonging to the Zug-based swisspor Group.
“The benefits of the cooperation with ICT and HTZ are very high for us,” Volker Brombacher is quoted as saying in the statement. The feasibility study carried out with the help of the research partners gives swisspor a unique selling point, as no comparable products are currently available internationally either, according to the head of research and development at swisspor AG. After a successful feasibility study, application-related product tests were carried out and the production of the innovative insulation material was tested on a large-scale plant.
First product segments to be launched in 2024. However, production costs for the hallogen-free insulation material will be higher than for conventional insulation materials by a low double-digit percentage, writes the HTZ. Alporit AG is banking on the fact that the gain in sustainability outweighs the higher production costs. ce/hs
