Up to now, polyurethane (PU) foams have been the “gold standard” for insulation panels used by Italy´s construction industry. Consumption of PU in the country was estimated around 65,000 t in 1999, of which 80% was processed into rigid-faced panels with double boundary layers (RF-DBL) and discontinuous panels (DCP). However, new European legislation is prompting a switch to polyisocyanurates (PIR). Coim S.p.A. (Via Ricengo, 21/23, I-26010 Offanengo CR), an Italian company with 500 employees and EUR 260m in annual sales, is at the forefront of this development.

The EU´s Single Burning Item (SBI) legislation requires that materials used in building interiors have good anti-flammability properties. Because of its ring structure, with low energy content but high activation energy, PIR has a better fire protection performance compared with PU, as it releases less smoke.

Coim operates Europe´s largest esterification and polyaddition plant with a capacity of 150,000 t per year. The company has conducted extensive research into improving the cyclical content of the PIR foam structure. Its idea is to obtain rigid polyester polyols through chemical recycling of PET wastes. Through glycolysis, the proprietary Coim process partially breaks down the PET macromolecule into oligomers, which are then submitted with virgin raw materials to the esterification process.

The Coim process is regarded as environmentally friendly because it uses recyclate to produce PIR panels with high life expectancy. If the upward trend in Italian waste collection continues, Coim can be assured of a regular supply of PET bottles and thus will be able to expand its activities in this field.