Canadian Winters Are No Match for BASF's Neopor® Expandable Polystyrene
Graphite beads in the insulation material reflect thermal radiation
WYANDOTTE, MI- BASF's Neopor, a new expandable polystyrene (EPS), is going to keep a lot of students warm in the coming Canadian winters and cool in the summer at the new Village Suites in Oshawa, Ontario. Village Suites, designed by Dundurn Edge Development, is a project consisting of 133 suites, with 588 bedrooms, located approximately one-third of a mile from the front gates of the University of Ontario, Institute of Technology. Construction began in May 2009 with occupancy slated for the new semester beginning in August 2010. This project is expected to be certified as the largest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified project in Canada. LEED is a third party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance energy-efficient buildings.
The six story building is constructed with 30,000 LOGIX® Platinum Series blocks made with BASF's Neopor. LOGIX, an early adapter of green technology, has built several buildings that feature the gray Neopor instead of traditional white EPS. The fundamental difference in Neopor is that it contains special graphite particles that reflect thermal radiation like a mirror, thus reducing heat loss. This significantly improves its insulation capacity and gives it a silver-gray color. Neopor out-performs other traditional insulation materials by:
Energy Savings: More efficient insulating technology means it takes less energy to heat and cool a building to the same degree. In addition to Neopor's greater insulating performance, environmentally friendly Neopor insulation does not contain CFCs, HCFCs, or HFCs, setting new standards for insulating efficiency and environmental compatibility.
Flexibility: Work that requires a reduction in the thickness of insulation materials, for example in retrofit projects, can easily be carried out using insulating boards that are thinner than conventional EPS ones offering the same insulation performance.
Cost Savings: Working with thinner panels translates to lower construction and installation costs, as well as lower transportation and handling costs.
Handling: Elimination of sun glare from white panels makes it easier on the eyes for contractors. Insulating boards made from Neopor are quick to lay in any weather and are easy to cut and sand.
Durability: Rigid foam boards made from Neopor are resistant to ageing and rotting and are strong and dimensionally stable. They are also vapor-permeable, water-repellant and have low moisture absorbency.
"We are pleased to see the interest generated in building with sustainable products," said Andrew Bayley, Business Manager for BASF's Foams business.
"Currently, BASF is involved in several projects demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and will continue to help spread the message about energy-efficient buildings. "
Suggested caption: Village Suites, located near the University of Ontario campus, features LOGIX® Platinum Series blocks made with BASF's new expandable polystyrene (EPS) Neopor, which is instrumental in helping receive LEED certification.
BASF - The Chemical Company.
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.
BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than Euros50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
About LOGIX
LOGIX is the leading ICF in North America. By providing a wall system that is more energy efficient, stronger, more sound resistant and more environmentally sustainable than virtually any other construction method, LOGIX contributes up to 31 LEED-NC points with a single spec and makes it easy to build green.
Only LOGIX offers choice of panel thickness, core thickness, foam type and web type. LOGIX is also the easiest Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) system to install, delivering more profit and less pressure to the construction team.
For more information about LOGIX, visit locixicf.com.
For more information contact:
Kathy Dennis
BASF Corporation
Tel: (973) 245-6288
E-mail: kathy.dennis@basf.com
