I want to thank Eco Tec Insulation for providing and installing exactly what we needed to replace the damaged old insulation in our crawl space after we had water damage. It's a comfortable feeling to know that we have insulated our home with Icynene Spray Foam Insulation, a product much better and more energy efficient than anything else. The work was done efficiently, with no mess and on schedule.
Icynene LD-R-50 Spray Foam
The Next Generation High Performance Insulation
New for 2009, Icynene has released a spray foam insulation based on renewable materials. LD-R-50© is both an insulation and air barrier that lives up to Icynene’s incredible standards, while also being a eco friendly insulation. Not only does it meet Icynene’s standards, LD-R-50© exceeds the minimum renewable requirement for bio-based material by ASTM, an organization that develops international standards for products. LDR-50© is also a green insulation which can contribute toward a LEED H or LEED NC rating for green buildings. Learn more about LD-R-50’s LEED certification.
What Is Icynene LD-R-50© made of?
As Icynene has committed to developing innovations in green insulation and eco-friendly products, they needed to create a completely bio-based insulation. They created LD-R-50© out of castor oil, allowing the foam insulation to exceed the US Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred (SM) rating as well as the International Code Council requirement for rapidly renewable products.
Why Castor Oil Insulation?
Castor oil is a natural ingredient which is extracted from the castor plant. While it is high strength for industrial products such as insulation, castor oil is also safe enough for use in personal care products. Castor oil often is used in such products as lip balm, soaps, and perfumes. Castor oil could reduce the reliance on petroleum based materials, while keeping the insulation’s performance high.
Not only does castor oil help produce renewable products, the castor plant is also a low-environmental-impact crop. Growing the castor plant requires no pesticides and very low energy. The plant doesn’t even need fungicides, pesticides, or man-made irrigation. As it is a very reliable crop, the castor oil extracted is very consistent in quality from year to year, which makes it ideal for producing LDR-50 Insulation. The yield of castor oil from the plant is around 40% by weight, greatly exceeding soybean, which only produces about 17% of soya oil. This is one of the reasons that LD-R-50© is not a soy foam insulation.
Castor oil is also very effective at reducing the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. For every kilogram of castor oil used to make polyol, a main component of LDR50 Insulation, nearly 3.5 kilograms of CO2 are prevented from entering the atmosphere because the polyol was not created from petroleum. The castor oil crop is estimated to absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 34.6 tonnes per hectare, with two growing cycles per year. According to a study by the Department of Energy, there are nearly zero net greenhouse gas emissions from the production of castor oil and polyol used for LD-R-50©.
How is Castor Oil Produced?
After the crop is grown, the extraction of castor oil from the castor bean is relatively easy. All that needs to be done is for the beans to be de-husked and pressed. This can even be done by hand. The oil is then 100% naturally filtered and no chemicals are added. The castor oil used for LD-R-50© is processed using the guidelines of the Responsible Care® Initiative.
Love Your Walls With LD-R-50©
Icynene LD-R-50© is an incredible green product, but is also a great thermal insulation, sound insulation, and air barrier. These three properties make LD-R-50© extremely effective at reducing heating and cooling costs, improving air quality, and creating a quieter indoor environment. It will not decrease in insulating power over time, and can reduce energy consumption by up to 50%. The energy savings from high performance insulation are amazing enough, but for a product that is eco-friendly throughout its production cycle, you need a bio-based spray foam like LD-R-50©.
