Thermal Insulation – Light Density, Open Cell Spray Applied Semi-Rigid Polyurethane Foam – Material Specification

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Standards Development Organisation:
ULC Standards
Contact Information:
ULC Standards Normes ULC
Working Program:
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Designation Number:
CAN/ULC S712.1
Standard Type:
National Standard of Canada - Domestic
Standard Development Activity:
New Edition
ICS code(s):
91.120.10
Status:
Proceeding to development
SDO Comment Period Start Date:
SDO Comment Period End Date:
Posted On:

Scope:

This Standard specifies the physical property requirements and test methods to determine the material properties for light density, open cell spray applied semi-rigid polyurethane foam, used as a thermal insulation for building applications, whether applied on a building site or in a prefabrication (manufacturing) facility.

The spray polyurethane foam system installer site manufactures the light density, open cell spray applied semi-rigid polyurethane foam material identified by this Standard. The spray polyurethane foam system supplier produces a liquid “resin” component and supplies the corresponding polymeric isocyanate which, when mixed together on a fixed ratio basis, produce the material which results in the physical properties listed in this Standard. The Standard CAN/ULC-S712.2 includes mandatory requirements for the installation of the material as well as qualification of contractors and the qualification of installers and forms an integral part of the manufacturing process for the finished material.

The test methods listed in this Standard are used to determine the values for the physical properties. These physical property values are intended for use in specifications, material evaluations and quality control. They are not intended to predict end-use material performance.

This standard applies to material where the continuous service temperature of the substrate is within the range of -60 to +70 °C.

The testing and evaluation of a material against this Standard may require the use of materials and/or equipment that could be hazardous. This Standard does not purport to address all the safety aspects associated with its use. Anyone using this Standard has the responsibility to consult the appropriate authorities and to establish appropriate health and safety practices in conjunction with any existing applicable regulatory requirements prior to its use.

Project need:

The revisions to 1.6 will indicate where the use of the insulation is permitted to reinforce the fact that it is not to be used where liquid water may be present, as the product is not to be used in wet environments. Allowing water absorption with limits based on water vapour permeance provides a false sense of security that the product can perform in a wet environment and contradicts the limitations of the standard. The revision will be adding information to Section 4,1 and a diagram to show where the use of open cell spray polyurethane is permitted. The water absorption test method has reproducibility issues that have been identified by the labs when the method is used on open cell foam and the precision/bias data generated for ASTM D2842 is based only on closed cell rid cellular plastics. The revision will remove the water absorption test method (ASTM D2842) in Section 2.1, Section 10.9, and the limits to water absorption tied to water vapour permeance in Table 5.1. The WVP minimum will be changed to 400 ng/Pa.s.m2 and remove the minimum WVP of 1400 ng/Pa.s.m2 tied to a higher water absorption since that has been removed. Other S700 material standards for products that are susceptible to high water absorption do not require water absorption testing (e.g., CAN/ULC S702 and CAN/ULC S703) since it is recognized similarly that they are not to be used in potentially wet environments.

Note: The information provided above was obtained by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and is provided as part of a centralized, transparent notification system for new standards development. The system allows SCC-accredited Standards Development Organizations (SDOs), and members of the public, to be informed of new work in Canadian standards development, and allows SCC-accredited SDOs to identify and resolve potential duplication of standards and effort.

Individual SDOs are responsible for the content and accuracy of the information presented here. The text is presented in the language in which it was provided to SCC.