Appendix 1
Environmental Declaration
Based on lifecycle analysisISO 14040 and ISO 14041
Product
Polyurethane board
Product name
SPU Thermal insulator
Application (component, consumption)
Thermal insulator for buildings, construction elements and construction blocks.
Thermal insulator for vehicles (refrigerated and frozen transport containers), thermal insulator for boats, etc.
Product dimensions
Thickness of the insulation boards 20-150 mm, width 600-1200 mm, length 1200 – approx. 5000 mm.
Density
35 (-80) kg/m3
Moisture content
-
Composition
k value
Lambda value usually 0.024–0.027
RT building information sheet
RT K-35420
Service life
Expected service life
The product’s estimated service life in construction is 100-150 years.
Requirements and limitations
The requirements include structures complying with the manufacturer’s design instructions, and installation into the building complying with the installation instructions for the product, as well as proper use and maintenance of the building. Planning and installation instructions can be found in the manufacturer’s brochures as well as on the internet at: www.spu.fi.
Energy and raw materials
Non-renewable energy 99 MJ/kg
Renewable energy 2.3 MJ/kg
Non-renewable raw materials 3.2 kg/kg
Renewable raw materials 0.047 kg/kg
Emissions
Greenhouse gases (g CO2-equiv./kg) 3900 g/kg
CO2 stored in the product (g/kg) - g/kg
Acidifying emissions into the air (g SO2- equiv./kg) 26 g/kg
Emissions generating oxidants (g ethylene- equiv./kg) 3.7 g/kg
Emissions into indoor air
No significance
Emission classification of the surface material (M1, M2 or M3)
M1
Recycling
Recycling the product
Polyurethane thermal insulation boards disassembled from a building can be reused for heat or frost insulation. Any waste unsuitable for insulation is taken to a waste disposal site (see also energy use), or can also be crushed into fine powder. The powder can be reused for manufacturing polyurethane insulation, or it can be used for making various pressed products, such as construction boards, packing platforms, etc.
Energy use. Energy content of product
Polyurethane waste can be burned to produce energy in an incineration facility for sorted waste or mixed waste. In Finland, the waste generated primarily at construction sites and going to incinerating facilities is sorted in, for instance, Kerava (WM-Ympäristöpalvelut Oy). The energy content of the product is 38 MJ.
Package recycling
The polyethylene membrane used in the package can be delivered to plastics recycling companies for reuse, or burnt to produce energy in power plants that use plastic as a part of their fuel.
Quality of information
The eco-profile of the polyurethane board is based on the environmental impacts of manufacturing the raw material and propellant as well as the information supplied by the manufacturer with regard to the energy and material consumed in manufacturing the product, the process emissions generated, and the average transport of the product. The eco-profile of the raw material is in accordance with the appendix (APME 1997). The total eco-profile of the raw materials is based on a typical polyurethane used in construction materials or products, in which the propellant is pentane. The eco-profile covers the production of polyol, MDI and pentane as well as their average transport. The profile also includes the energy consumption and emissions generated from acquiring all the above-mentioned materials for components and raw materials for energy. Also the environmental impact of producing the fuels used for transport has been included. Additionally, the eco-profile covers the production of polyurethane boards. Wind power is used in the production (settlement procedure with the power provider). No separate eco-profile has been calculated for wind power. Here, electrical power production is not taken into account, and the energy is assumed to be renewable and emission-free. The effect on the end result would be such that the amount of greenhouse pollution and non-renewable energy would increase by approx. 1 per cent, if the calculation were performed according to national average power taking into account electrical power production.
References
Boustead, I. 1999. Ecoprofiles of plastics and related intermediates. Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe (APME). Brussels. http://lca.apme.org/reports/htm/alphabetical.htm.
Espoo, Finland, 12 February 2001
Building Information Foundation
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Construction Technology
SPU Systems Oy