WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES THE FOAM INDUSTRY’S NEEDS FOR HFCs FOAM INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION XPS EXIBA Phenolic EPFA Polyurethane ISOPA BING, EPPF (& Polyisocyanurate)
DESCRIPTION OF EUROPEAN FOAM INDUSTRY Extruded PS Expanded PS Phenolic Polyurethane, (Polyisocyanurate) Polyolefin Boards Sheets Boards, etc Boards, blocks Boards, panels, injection, spray, etc Blocks Construction Packaging Furniture Appliances Flexible foam Transport OCF ENERGY SAVING APPLICATIONS WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
THE NEED FOR HFCs IN THE FOAM INDUSTRY WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
INNOVATION IN BLOWING AGENT TECHNOLOGY EXAMPLE - EU REFRIGERATOR/FREEZERS CFC II “Reduced” CFC II PFC Nucleation HCFC 141 b HCFC 22 HCFC 142b Cyclopen- tane Cyclopentane Iso Butane HFC 134a Vacuum Panels HFC 245fa HFC 365mfc Cyclopentane/ Iso Pentane X X RAPID PACE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE in 10+ years PREFERRED TECHNOLOGIES WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
FOAM INDUSTRY POSITION - 1 The European foam industry welcomes the proposal of a Framework Directive as a harmonised approach. The European foam industry is now in the final stages of phasing out HCFCs: the current low usage of HFCs is likely to increase when replacing certain uses of HCFCs. Use of HFCs, as HCFC-replacements, will only be in those applications and sectors where non-fluorinated alternatives are not technically, economically or environmentally viable. They will be limited to the insulating foam sectors plus minor and short term use in elastomers including integral skin transportation safety foams. The diverse nature of the foam industry means that a particular blowing agent which is suitable for one application may be totally unsuitable for another. WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
FOAM INDUSTRY POSITION - 2 Innovation will continue and it is expected that usage and emissions of HFCs will not grow significantly for the medium to long term. Insulating foam has a major further potential to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and appliances and so reduce the emissions of CO 2. The essential use pattern of HFCs will become clear by 2004/2005 including the sectors involved, types of HFCs and the details of their usage per unit of foam. The foam industry will report HFC usage and estimated emissions. It will develop use and emissions profiles per sector including sectoral choices and substitution ratios. It will establish programmes for the verification of emissions in practise which will cover the production, use and end-of life phases. It will develop emission reduction targets with consideration of the baseline emissions as stated in the ECCP Final Report for Fluorinated Gases. WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
LIFE CYCLE OF INSULATION FOAMS Production phase - processes minimise emissions strong economic incentive! Use phase - typical use phase is 15 to 50 years blowing agent also serves in role as insulating gas closed-cell foam morphology retains blowing agent in foam emissions in use phase are low year-on-year energy saving performance Majority of blowing agent is retained in the foam until the end of its life several opportunities and technologies to prevent emissions HFC-based foam will come to end-of-life phase from 2020 onwards WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
PREVENTION OF END-OF-LIFE EMISSIONS IN FOAMS - TECHNOLOGIES Technologies have been developed and facilities are in place in many countries for resource recovery of plastics physical processes chemical processes incineration with energy recovery Key step in all technologies is separation for destruction (or recycling) or direct destruction by incineration of the blowing agent Incineration is approved by Parties to the Montreal Protocol as highly effective in ODS destruction WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
PREVENTION OF END-OF-LIFE EMISSIONS IN FOAMS - PARALLEL LEGISLATION ON PRODUCTS Proposal for a Directive on WEEE (COM(2000)347) requires material recovery and recycling of domestic refrigerators and freezers from final Directive expected H requires HFCs to be extracted and destroyed or recycled Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation EC 2037(2000) requires collection for destruction of ODS WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
BLOWING AGENTS FOR RIGID FOAM PRODUCTION LIQUID HFCs Good Insulation Value, High GWP, Cost HFC 134a Moderate Insulation Value, Poor Solubility in Formulations, High GWP HC Moderate Insulation Value, Higher Density, Flammability in Production (including pre-blends) and Use, VOC Emissions, Low Cost CO 2 Poor Insulation Value, High Density, High Material Usage WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
RIGID FOAM BLOWING AGENTS SUMMARY OF ISSUES WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
BLOWING AGENTS AND ODS PHASEOUT CFCHCFCHFC HC CO 2 XPS, Phenolic, PU Rigid, PU Elastomers XPS, Flexible & integral skin PU foam PU Rigid, PO HC EPS The foam industry has been proactive, responsible and innovative in achieving quick ODS phase-out (NB - CFCs had very high GWPs) Within a sector, the replacement technology which is suitable for one application in one market is not necessarily suitable for that application in another market or for another application in the same market WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES
ROLE OF INSULATION IN SAVING ENERGY AND CO 2 EMISSIONS Rigid foams are used to insulate buildings, pipes and refrigerators and freezers In buildings more insulation and other measures could yield a reduction of about 400 mte CO 2 - eq in emission per annum by 2010 Proposal for Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings COM(2000)226 is a first step For domestic refrigerators and freezers revision of 96/57/CE is proposed for 2005/6 (COLD 2) Use on HFCs will in the installation of insulating foams in a greater range of applications WORKSHOP: MANAGING F-GASES