New Flexible Foam for Pre-Insulated Pipes

Huntsman, working closely with BRUGG Pipes, has developed a next-generation polyurethane foam system with excellent insulation properties that can be used to create highly flexible, thermally efficient pre-insulated pipes for connecting ground-source heat pumps and local heating units to residential and commercial buildings. The closed-cell SUPRASEC^® / DALTOFOAM^® TE system solution is already being used effectively by BRUGG Pipes, a company specializing in the production of pipe systems for safely and efficiently transporting liquids, gases and heat on a global scale. Globally, demand for heat pumps that capture temperature from outside and transfer it indoors is growing rapidly. Traditionally, expanded polyethylene (PE) has been used to insulate plastic pipes connecting local networks and heat sources to individual buildings. Huntsman's new SUPRASEC^® / DALTOFOAM^® TE system produces foam with better insulation properties (lower lambda value) than PE. The result is pipes with a thinner insulation layer compared to PE while still delivering good overall insulation performance (low U value). Additionally, thinner, lighter pipes are more flexible, meaning they can be transported and installed faster and more easily, and they also reduce heat loss. Using Huntsman's innovative SUPRASEC^® / DALTOFOAM^® TE system solution has been key to providing the high flexibility of BRUGG Pipes' FLEXSTAR pipes, which were launched in January 2022. Bora Yayla, Marketing Manager at BRUGG Pipes, provided further details: "We have wanted to enter the heat pump market for some time and we needed a competitive insulation solution that would allow us to quickly establish ourselves in this market. The key to our success was achieving a good degree of flexibility in our pre-insulated pipes without compromising insulation performance. More flexible pipes have a smaller coil radius, which means they are easier to transport and faster for heating engineers and plumbers to install in confined spaces or where there are tight bends and building entry points to navigate. By working with Huntsman, we have achieved all our project objectives and orders for FLEXSTAR are now coming in from around the world." Tjerk Lenstra, Senior Market Manager at Huntsman, stated: "As countries around the world work to achieve ambitious net-zero targets, the spotlight is turning to solutions like ground-source heat pumps which have a much lower carbon footprint. Growth in this sector is evident across all primary heating markets in North America, Europe and Northern Asia - which is why the development of a new SUPRASEC^®/ DALTOFOAM^® TE system solution is timely, exciting and will deliver value for our business, our planet and our customers in the long term." Huntsman and BRUGG Pipes have been working together for several years on other pipe projects, including BRUGG Pipes' CALPEX PUR-KING pipe system, which remains one of the best insulated pipes of its kind on the market. BRUGG Pipes' Flexstar pre-insulated pipes are specifically designed for use in local heat pump systems and are manufactured using a patented production process (in accordance with DIN EN 15632-2 and DIN 4726) that provides excellent joint and longitudinal water impermeability and a good oxygen diffusion barrier. SOURCE: https://www.huntsman.com/about/polyurethanes/news/detail/15058/new-daltofoam-system-from-huntsman-plays-leading-role-in