Phenolic Foam Roof Insulation Corrosion

It has a very low thermal conductivity and an exceptionally low flammability.

Phenolic foam roof insulation corrosion.

The phenolic insulation also has a history of crumbling and easily crushes when walked on leaving a residue on the decking. While roof systems containing phenolic foam roof insulation may be in good shape it is important to repair and remediate decks as soon as possible. Once a property is identified as part of the class action lawsuit it becomes an issue should the. The corrosion created the potential for equipment or people to fall through compromised areas.

Trymer supercel phenolic insulation is a closed cell rigid phenolic foam insulation supplied in the form of large buns for fabrication into pipe shells curved segments sheets tank and vessel coverings and other shapes for a variety of thermal insulation applications. Judging by the building s age and structure the engineers believed phenolic foam insulation was the source. 1 the discovery of corrosion of the. In order to have corrosion three things are required oxygen moisture and a catalyst.

This article will discuss the evi dence that a combination of factors involving the insulation moisture in the system and inadequate protection by the deck treatments may have con tributed to deck corrosion in these three projects. The rooftop of the test hut where 8 different types of phenolic foam rigid insulation underwent a corrosion test. These photos show the inside of the fraunhofer rooftop test hut and show how water is delivered to the roof system to load the installed phenolic foam rigid insulation with moisture. When it was installed over a lightly primed painted metal deck any water in the roof system from above moisture from operations or humidity within the building activated chemicals in the phenolic foam which caused corrosion of the metal deck.

The phenolic foam roof insulation turned out to have a critical flaw. Corrosion science is an exceptionally complex subject and the corrosion process takes many forms depending on a range of factors such as the presence of inclusions or surface contamination on the. This residue is present regardless of whether the insulation has been crushed or not. It offers many advantages including excellent density and an r value of 4 8 per inch of thickness which forms an effective barrier against heat transfer and thus helps you save energy around the house.

Wt phenolic foam is a closed cell type rigid foam made of phenolic resin and flame retardant foaming agent curing agent and other additives. Used extensively throughout north america in industrial buildings and warehouses from the early 1980s to the early 1990s because of its high r value and low price phenolic foam has major drawbacks says halcrow yolles project manager. Phenolic insulation as part of the sys tem.