Masonry Magazine November 2011 Page. 21
At the gun, the bubbles created by the foaming agent act as the structure for the foam inside the gun's chamber. At this point, they are coated with the liquid resin, and then pushed out of the gun into the wall by the air pressure. Once the resin and foaming agent meet, the setting process begins to occur - but not too quickly - allowing the fresh foam to be at a free flowing state.
It's important to note that, if the ratios are off for any of the three components, the foam will come out either too heavy and wet, or too light and fragile. Any good installer should test the quality of the foam before beginning to pump it into the wall, and will have third-party testing to support the product performance claims.
The CMU core insulation described above is different from the other types of foam insulation in the market. Two major distinctions exist between CMU foam insulation for the cores and spray-applied, foam-in-place insulation for walls or ceilings. One of these distinctions is that CMU core insulation comes out of the gun/hose pre-expanded, and moves into voids via air pressure from a single point of injection. Spray polyurethane foams are "directed into place" by spraying directly to the surface to be covered, and then chemically expands into voids. The chemical expansion, after it is sprayed, releases heat until it cures. Injected CMU foam does not create heat as it cures.
The other big difference is the safety equipment needed by the installer, who is using the product. Injection CMU foam insulation installers do not need to wear fresh-air masks and skin protection suits while installing, since the chemical reactions that create the expansion and curing of the product are completely different. Most well-known suppliers for CMU foam have a non-toxic formulation.
Testing
THREE IMPORTANT performance-supporting, third-party tests should always be reviewed to assure your foam installer truly is meeting specifications required by the architect:
1. ASTM C518. This is an "absolute method" for determining the R-value per inch of foam. Another ASTM test for R-value under ASTM C177 exists, but this is an "estimate test," according to ASTM and, in case of dispute, ASTM C518 should be the preferred method.
2. ASTM E84. This tests the surface-burning characteristic of the foam and can classify them by
Any good installer will have third-party testing to support the product performance claims.
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READER SERVICE #165
November 2011
MASONRY
19