SOPREMA Selects Honeywell Solstice Gas Blowing Agent For Extruded Polystyrene Foam Insulation

Honeywell announced that SOPREMA will adopt Honeywell’s ultra-low global warming potential Solstice Gas Blowing Agent (GBA) for production of extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation boards. SOPREMA will be the first XPS manufacturer in North America to convert to Solstice GBA to meet new environmental regulations phasing down higher GWP products.

Solstice GBA provides energy efficiency performance similar to HFC-134a and has a GWP of less than 1 (more than 99% lower than HFCs and lower than carbon dioxide.) By adopting Solstice GBA, SOPREMA joins a growing number of XPS producers worldwide who are replacing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blowing agents with low-GWP solutions to meet changing environmental regulations calling for a global phase down of HFCs.

SOPREMA will replace HFC-134a with Solstice GBA in its entire XPS board production at its manufacturing site in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The company’s XPS products are used in residential and commercial construction for wall insulation, inverted roofs, parking and plaza decks, foundations and civil engineering applications such as airport runways, roads and pilings.

“For SOPREMA, being involved in sustainable development by investing in innovation is a necessity,” said Richard Voyer, CEO, SOPREMA. “Our transition to Solstice GBA for XPS production is just one example of our commitment to adopt materials and good practices that are synonymous with value creation to move society forward and guarantee the sustainability of our planet.”

Honeywell is seeing growing interest from XPS manufacturers and other foam producers for its proven Solstice blowing agent technologies. These solutions meet performance requirements while staying ahead of changing environmental regulations requiring a transition to low-GWP blowing agents.

“Not only has Solstice GBA helped SOPREMA demonstrate environmental leadership by offering XPS insulation board with reduced global warming potential, it has also met very high standards for performance and energy efficiency essential for these products,” said Laura Reinhard, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Foam and Industrial Products. “We are proud of our collaboration with SOPREMA and are committed to assisting the foam industry globally through the transition to low-GWP solutions.”

Based on hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) technology, Solstice GBA is a replacement for HFC-134a, HFC-152a, HCFC-142b, HCFC-22 and other blowing agents in foam applications.

For more information, visit www.honeywell.com and https://soprema.us.