If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it goes the old saying. Not so if it happens to be insulation industry giant Johns Manville. Why then has JM converted its entire line of residential and commercial building insulation from the industry standard phenol-formaldehyde binder for fiberglass insulation to a formaldehyde-free acrylic binder? Answer: because they have been listening to the concerns of their customer base in the building industry. The company has also been listening to environmental groups and state regulatory agencies. Both warn the public of the dangers of elevated formaldehyde levels to human health and indoor air quality. All this despite the fact that phenol-formaldehyde binder fiberglass insulation has been produced for many years by JM and other manufacturers and has no known detrimental affect on human health since the levels of formaldehyde potentially off-gassing from fiber glass insulation are quite low.

Naturally occurring things

The California Air Resources Board recommends a household level of less than 0.05ppm (parts per million) for formaldehyde emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers levels of formaldehyde above 0.1ppm an “elevated exposure.” At these heightened levels, formaldehyde, which is a colorless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, difficulty breathing and may trigger an asthmatic attack.

Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring organic material that is omnipresent in nature: plants, trees and even outer space. Any organic material, when subjected to burning, may off-gas formaldehyde. The term Formaldehyde-Free is by an industrial definition: “No formaldehyde is added in making the binder or the product.” The U.S. National Toxicology Program lists formaldehyde as, “Reasonably anticipated to cause cancer.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies formaldehyde as a “probable human carcinogen” (Group 2A).

Formaldehyde has no thermal or acoustical value/effect—it merely serves as a binder for the sand and recycled glass (windows, bottles, etc.) that are melted and spun to create the tiny strands of fiberglass. Many consumer products and building materials contain formaldehyde. Perhaps the most common building material in which formaldehyde is present are pressed wood panels, such as particle board and OSB (oriented strand board). These wood-based products are manufactured with adhesives containing urea formaldehyde resins. Since acrylics contain no carcinogens, they are widely used nowadays in products such as paints, adhesives and plexiglas.

Standard fiberglass insulation utilizes a spray-applied thermosetting phenol-formaldehyde based resin/binder to bond the glass fibers together after curing in an oven. This process produces the familiar yellow color of fiberglass insulation (some manufacturers use color dyes). By the summer of 2002, all JM manufacturing facilities were voluntarily converted to formaldehyde-free production. JM previously offered formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation as an option for commercial applications only. This all-encompassing conversion to formaldehyde-free production means that no formaldehyde gas is emitted during the manufacturing process and/or the installation process. The old process utilizing phenol-formaldehyde required sophisticated pollution abatement equipment in all of JM’s manufacturing plants. With the new acrylic binder, the need for this equipment has been greatly reduced.

Less itch and dust

Rohm & Haas, of Philadelphia, JM’s acrylic binder supplier, developed and certified the Acrylic Thermoset technology upon which the acrylic binder is based. This technology provides strength, durability and resiliency, comparable in both quality and performance to a phenol-formaldehyde binder. Other fiberglass insulation manufacturers will be able to take advantage of the benefits of formaldehyde-free production as well. This means the acrylic binder technology is available industry wide. Because no dyes or bleaches are added and both the glass fibers and acrylic binder are clear, formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation is naturally white in color (due to light refraction) rather than yellow.

Though fiberglass insulation is not itself a recyclable product, it is manufactured from a minimum of 25 percent recycled content in the United States and a 50 percent minimum in Canada. Formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation was tested to the same standard as its predecessor: ASTM C 665: Standard Specification for Mineral Fiber Blanket Thermal Insulation for Light Frame Construction and Manufactured Housing.

With ongoing concerns over mold growth in buildings, the ASTM C 1338 test for fungi resistance showed zero results; no mold growth. In just about every way, the physical properties of the fiberglass insulation and the thermal/acoustical performance was/is unaffected by the change to an acrylic binder. As well, formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation conforms to the building code requirements of ICBO, SBCCI, BOCA, IRC and IBC.

It also meets the requirements of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention & Building Code. To pass this test, fiberglass insulation is subjected to the University of Pittsburgh test method.

Along with widespread availability through retail outlets, lumberyards and distributors, JM is poised to increase market share through its environmentally friendly initiative. With $2- billion-plus in annual sales, 9,500 employees and a total of 52 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China, JM is providing the benchmark for industrial responsibility by its voluntary switchover to formaldehyde-free insulation.