How to improve thermal insulation performance of building insulation materials and provide better energy efficiency

Date：2025-03-14 Categories：Our Projects

Retardant amine catalyst 8154: A powerful tool to improve thermal insulation performance of building insulation materials

In today’s era of energy tension and environmental protection is rising, building energy conservation has become the focus of global attention. According to statistics, building energy consumption accounts for about 40% of the global total energy consumption, and heating and cooling account for the majority of building energy consumption. Therefore, how to improve the thermal insulation performance of building insulation materials and reduce energy consumption has become an important issue that needs to be solved in the construction industry. In this energy-saving revolution, the delay amine catalyst 8154, as a new high-efficiency catalyst, is injecting new vitality into building insulation materials with its unique properties.

What is the delayed amine catalyst 8154?

The retardant amine catalyst 8154 is a catalyst specially used in polyurethane foaming reaction. It accurately controls the chemical reaction rate between isocyanate and polyol, so that the resulting polyurethane foam has a more uniform pore structure and excellent physical properties. The unique feature of this catalyst is its “delay” characteristic – maintaining low activity at the beginning of the reaction to avoid pore unevenness caused by too fast curing of the foam; and it quickly plays a role later in the reaction to ensure that the foam is fully cross-linked and form an ideal microstructure.

The main components and mechanism of retardation amine catalyst 8154

From the chemical composition point of view, 8154 is mainly composed of tertiary amine compounds, which can effectively promote the reaction between isocyanate and polyol, and can also regulate the release rate of carbon dioxide during the reaction. By precisely controlling the reaction kinetics during the foaming process, the foam can not only improve the density uniformity of the foam, but also significantly improve the mechanical strength and thermal insulation properties of the foam.

The current development status and challenges of building insulation materials

With the continuous increase in global energy conservation and emission reduction requirements, the research and development and application of building insulation materials have also entered a stage of rapid development. Currently, common insulation materials on the market mainly include rock wool, glass wool, polystyrene foam (EPS/XPS) and polyurethane foam. Among them, polyurethane foam has gradually become the mainstream choice due to its excellent thermal insulation properties and good processing properties.

However, traditional polyurethane foam still has some problems in practical applications, such as inadequate pore structure, uneven density distribution, and susceptible to environmental factors. These problems directly lead to a decrease in the insulation effect and increase building energy consumption. The emergence of delayed amine catalyst 8154 provides a new idea to solve these problems.

How to improve the thermal insulation performance of building insulation materials?

1. Improve the uniformity of foam pore structure

The thermal insulation properties of polyurethane foam are closely related to their pore structure. Studies have shown that the smaller the pores and the more uniform the distribution, the lower the thermal conductivity of the foam, thus showing a better insulation effect. Retarded amine catalyst 8154 passes through essenceConfirmly control the reaction rate during foaming, so that the pores of the generated foam are finer and even. Experimental data show that the pore size of the polyurethane foam prepared using 8154 can be controlled within the range of 20-30 microns, and the standard deviation of pore distribution is only 60% of that of traditional catalysts.

parameters	Traditional catalyst	Retardant amine catalyst 8154
Average pore size (μm)	40-50	20-30
Standard deviation of pore distribution	±15	±9

2. Reduce the thermal conductivity of foam

Thermal conductivity is an important indicator for measuring the thermal insulation performance of thermal insulation materials. The polyurethane foam prepared using the retardant amine catalyst 8154 has a significantly reduced thermal conductivity due to its more optimized pore structure and higher gas phase content. According to many domestic and foreign research results, the thermal conductivity of the foam prepared by 8154 can reach 0.022 W/(m·K), which is about 15%-20% lower than that of the foam prepared by traditional catalysts.

parameters	Traditional catalyst	Retardant amine catalyst 8154
Thermal conductivity (W/(m·K))	0.026	0.022
Energy saving effect improvement ratio	–	15%-20%

3. Improve the mechanical strength of the foam

In addition to thermal insulation properties, building insulation materials also need to have sufficient mechanical strength to withstand external pressures and environmental changes. The retardant amine catalyst 8154 significantly improves the tensile strength and compressive strength of the foam by promoting sufficient crosslinking of the foam. Experiments show that the tensile strength of foam prepared using 8154 can reach 1.2 MPa and the compression strength can reach 0.8 MPa, which is 30% and 25% higher than that of foam prepared by traditional catalysts, respectively.

parameters	Traditional catalyst	Retardant amine catalyst 8154
Tension Strength (MPa)	0.9	1.2
Compression Strength (MPa)	0.64	0.8

4. Improve the dimensional stability of foam

Changes in temperature and humidity often cause polyurethane foam to expand or contract, which affects its long-term use performance. The delay amine catalyst 8154 significantly improves the dimensional stability of the foam by optimizing the crosslinking network structure inside the foam. Experimental data show that in high temperature and high humidity environments, the foam volume change rate prepared by 8154 is only half that of foam prepared by traditional catalysts.

parameters	Traditional catalyst	Retardant amine catalyst 8154
Volume change rate (%)	2.5	1.2

Domestic and foreign research progress and application cases

In recent years, domestic and foreign scholars have carried out a lot of research on the application of delayed amine catalyst 8154 in building insulation materials. Here are some typical research cases:

1. Research by the Fraunhof Institute in Germany

A study by the Fraunhof Institute in Germany showed that polyurethane foams prepared with retardant amine catalyst 8154 have a thermal insulation performance of about 18% higher than conventional foams under the same thickness. In addition, the institute has also developed a composite insulation system based on 8154, which has been successfully applied to the insulation projects of exterior walls of multiple high-rise buildings, achieving significant energy-saving results.

2. Experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States

The US Oak Ridge National Laboratory found through comparative experiments that the delayed amine catalyst 8154 can not only improve the thermal insulation performance of the foam, but also effectively reduce energy consumption in the production process. Experimental results show that the unit energy consumption of using 8154 to prepare foam is reduced by about 25% compared with traditional catalysts, which provides an important reference for large-scale industrial production.

3. Application practice of China Institute of Building Materials Science

In China, the General Institute of Building Materials Science and Technology has developed a high-performance polyurethane foam insulation board based on the delayed amine catalyst 8154 in response to the building insulation needs in cold northern areas. The product has been successfully used in many large-scale construction projects. After actual testing, the energy consumption of heating in winter has been reduced by about 20% and the energy consumption of cooling in summer has been reduced by about 15%.

Retardant amine catalyst 8154Market prospects and potential challenges

With the continuous increase in global energy saving requirements for building, the application prospects of delay amine catalyst 8154 in the field of building insulation materials are very broad. However, to achieve its large-scale promotion and application, some potential challenges still need to be overcome:

Cost Issues: Although 8154 can significantly improve foam performance, its price is relatively high, which may limit its application in the low-end market.
Process adaptability: The production equipment and technical levels of different manufacturers vary greatly. How to ensure the stable performance of 8154 under various process conditions is a problem that needs to be solved.
Environmental Protection Requirements: As environmental protection regulations become increasingly strict, how to further reduce the volatile and toxicity of 8154 is also the key direction of future research and development.

Conclusion

As a new star in the field of building insulation materials, the delay amine catalyst 8154 is injecting new impetus into the building energy conservation industry with its outstanding performance. By optimizing the foam pore structure, reducing thermal conductivity, improving mechanical strength and improving dimensional stability, 8154 can not only significantly improve the thermal insulation performance of building insulation materials, but also effectively reduce building energy consumption, providing strong support for achieving the goal of green building. Despite some challenges, I believe that with the continuous advancement of technology, 8154 will definitely play a more important role in the field of building energy conservation in the future.

Tags：How to improve thermal insulation performance of building insulation materials and provide better energy efficiency

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