Photo courtesy Marie-Josée Bertrand

A blue spruce commemorates Dow's switch to the non-ozone depleting blowing agent technology at its extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation plant in Varennes, Que.

The Dow Building Solutions facility in Varennes, Que., has converted to a zero ozone-depleting, no volatile organic compound (VOC) foaming agent technology for its extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation products.

The move was made to conform to the Montreal Protocol, which calls for the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) 142b—an ozone-depleting compound—before January 1, 2010. The changeover marks the company's third such conversion (after Hanging Rock, Ohio, and Dalton, Ga.), but its first for Canada.

"We are operating on a very precisely calibrated conversion schedule, with a team of technical specialists who travel from site to site to ensure quality and performance standards are consistent across our manufacturing process," said Mike McGaugh, Dow's general manager for North America.

Dow developed its replacement proprietary foaming agent technology well in advance of the guidelines, and is on track to converting its facilities in accordance with the deadline. The company said the new technology will offer the same thermal insulation values, moisture resistance, and compressive strength of products made with the old agent. The formulation also does not affect Dow's ability to recycle scrap XPS foam insulation.

For more information on Canada's chemical-related regulations, see "The Future of Rigid Foam Insulation: Impact of the Canadian Phase-out of Ozone-depleting Chemicals" by Mason Knowles. The article appeared in the March 2009 issue of Construction Canada.