PIR materials: invisible innovators in the field of building energy conservation

  In the field of industrial insulation, polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam is rewriting the rules with disruptive performance. Its closed-cell rate exceeds 90%, and its thermal conductivity is as low as 0.018W/(m·K), which is 30% higher than that of traditional polyurethane insulation, and its fire protection level reaches the highest standard of EN 13501-1. This material remains stable at high temperatures of 200°C, making it the preferred solution for oil and gas pipelines and ultra-low temperature cold storage.

  Innovation of Chinese companies focuses on three dimensions:

  Fire protection upgrade: By adjusting the ratio of black and white materials, the fire protection level of PIR insulation board is upgraded to B1. Taking a Guangdong energy-saving material company as an example, the increase of 23% in the use of black materials has made the product oxygen index exceed 32%, and it has passed the inspection of the National Fireproof Building Materials Inspection Center;

  Circular economy: 100% of the injection molding scraps are converted into PIR recycled particles. A Shandong manufacturer uses this to manufacture fire duct brackets, and the raw material cost drops by 40%;

  International certification: In 2024, the export of PIR insulation boards certified by UKCA to the UK surged. Jiangsu companies won British infrastructure orders with this qualification, and the profit margin increased by 18%.

  The new regulations on building energy conservation have further stimulated the market blowout. According to the "General Specifications for Building Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Utilization", the heat transfer coefficient limit of the wall of the cold chain logistics center has been reduced to 0.38W/(㎡·K), which is 40% stricter than the original standard. A leading cold storage board company introduced a fully automatic production line from Europe, with an annual output of 2.5 million square meters of PIR boards. Its graphene-enhanced formula increases the compressive strength by 30%, which has been successfully applied to Sinopec's oil storage tank project, reducing energy consumption by 40%25. When refinery pipes are wrapped with a PIR insulation layer with a closed-cell rate of over 90%, this silent material revolution is reshaping the energy-saving genes of Chinese manufacturing from the depths of the industry.