Phenolic Foam Roof Insulation Corrosion

Once a property is identified as part of the class action lawsuit it becomes an issue should the.

Phenolic foam roof insulation corrosion.

This residue is present regardless of whether the insulation has been crushed or not. Wt phenolic foam is a closed cell type rigid foam made of phenolic resin and flame retardant foaming agent curing agent and other additives. In order to have corrosion three things are required oxygen moisture and a catalyst. Judging by the building s age and structure the engineers believed phenolic foam insulation was the source.

Phenolic foam these questions usually refer to its use on copper pipework. 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. The rooftop of the test hut where 8 different types of phenolic foam rigid insulation underwent a corrosion test. W t phenolic foam panel 65kg m3 5 nominal densities 20 30mm thickness cfc hcfc free rigid phenolic insulation core with ozone permeability potential 80 micron aluminum foil facing both sides.

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. 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 corrosion created the potential for equipment or people to fall through compromised areas. 1 the discovery of corrosion of the.

It has a very low thermal conductivity and an exceptionally low flammability. Phenolic insulation as part of the sys tem. 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. 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.

Phenolic foam insulation used to be available in board form but today is only sold as a type of foamed in place insulation. The phenolic foam roof insulation turned out to have a critical flaw. 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.