THE INTRODUCTION OF ECOSE® TECHNOLOGY ACROSS THE FULL RANGE OF KNAUF INSULATION’S MINERAL WOOL PRODUCTS REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT STEP CHANGES IN INSULATION MANUFACTURE IN RECENT TIMES. HERE, LYDIA SHARPLES, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS AT KNAUF INSULATION, DISCUSSES THE NEW TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES IT BRINGS.

Free from CFC’s and HCFC’s and classed as Zero ODP and Zero GWP, mineral wool insulation products already offer the best performance in terms of low environmental impact. This is particularly the case with glass mineral wool products, which are manufactured with a high content of recycled glass bottles and are recyclable at the end of a building’s life. Added to this, the rolls of insulation can also be significantly compressed prior to transportation, reducing the amount of deliveries and transport generated CO2 emissions. According to environmental classification tables such as the BRE Green Guide, glass mineral wool is already considered to have the lowest environmental impact insulation available, with an A+ rating.

Insulation’s contribution to a more sustainable future is widely accepted, due to its role in greatly improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Whilst the

Government’s definition of zero carbon buildings prioritises energy efficiency, the issue of embodied energy of a building material is also set to creep up the agenda, with the EU currently exploring new harmonised standards in this area.

In this sense, the development of ECOSE® Technology is significant. Born from five year’s intensive research, ECOSE® Technology is a new formaldehyde-free binder, based on rapidly renewable materials instead of petro-based chemicals commonly used in other insulation.

ECOSE® Technology reduces embodied energy and delivers superior environmental sustainability as products have the added benefit of using a binder, which is up to 70% less energy intensive than traditional binders. The mineral wool products also offer full compliance with 'formaldehyde free' specifications’, such as the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Product Sourcing Guide, and contain no phenol, acrylics, dye or artificial colours – the brown colour is completely natural.

Of course, ultimately, insulation has a fundamental part to play in terms of its thermal, acoustic and fire performance and therefore any major modifications to its manufacture can never be to the detriment of its primary role. ECOSE® Technology has been developed for Knauf Insulation’s glass and rock mineral wool products to enhance their environmental credentials without affecting the thermal, acoustic or fire performance. In fact, as well as the enhanced sustainability benefits the new binder also produces a ‘super-soft’ and easier to handle wool. In trials many installers did not actually believe the product to be glasswool.

Knauf Insulation sees sustainability as an evolutionary process, based on continuous improvement and pushing technical boundaries. ECOSE® Technology was driven by an intensive research and development programme to fulfil a desire to provide customers with innovative products that meet the growing market need for more sustainable construction materials.

For further information visit www.feelgoodinsulation.com or Tel: 01744 766666.

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