POLYURETHANE rigid foam boasts the best thermal insulation properties of all currently available systems, claims Bayer MaterialScience, whose products were showcased at The Big 5 trade show in Dubai last month.

The company was represented by its local polyurethane systems house BaySystems Pearl – a joint venture between Bayer MaterialScience and Pearl Insulation Materials Industries.
Polyurethane rigid foam is used to insulate buildings and pipes, and in the refrigeration chain. Bayer Material-Science offers customised system solutions for the building industry which are said to ensure highly-effective thermal insulation.
 “In the Gulf region, the need to save energy is steadily increasing the importance of technologies that help to achieve efficient thermal insulation. The challenge in this region is to insulate offices and buildings against the extreme summer heat. BaySystems Pearl has many years of experience in this field and develops customised system solutions locally,” says Feroz Saleem, managing director of BaySystems Pearl.
One example of the close cooperation between BaySystems and its customers is the air-conditioning system in the Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping centres with 1 million sq m of floor space. A sophisticated system of district cooling pipes keeps temperatures at a pleasant level at the mall.
Trade Circle Technical Industries (TCTI), a local provider of refrigerated warehouses and vehicles, supplied 70 km of thermally insulated pipes for the project, while the jacketing was based on the Baytherm pipe insulation system from BaySystems.
“In addition to this system, we also delivered injection machinery, required for insulation of field joints,” Saleem adds.
Besides highly-efficient thermal insulation, increasing demands are being placed on the flame-retardant properties of the rigid foam systems.
In manufacturing thermal insulation boards and other elements, most producers in the Middle East still use the halogenated blowing agent R 141b (dichlorofluoro-ethane), which is not considered ozone-friendly, according to Saleem.
“BaySystems Pearl supports its customers in adopting more environmentally responsible methods for processing polyurethane rigid foam, for example, by using alternative blowing agents. We are planning a customer event for January 2009 to explain options for eliminating R 141b and give customers individual advice on selecting the best solution to meet their needs,” says Dr Marc Schuetze, head of Business Development at BaySystems Pearl.
Bayer MaterialScience, a Bayer Group company, is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Its business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life.
The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, and sports and leisure industries.