Haltermann Carless' Cyclopentanes Serve as Blowing Agents in Insulating Foams, assisting in Achieving the European Green Deal's Objectives for Energy Efficiency

By Anshula Mandaokar , 23 December, 2022

Higher energy efficiency, financial savings, and enhanced climate balance are all benefits of insulation, a hot topic in the construction sector. This requires insulation with especially effective insulating qualities. As a blowing agent in insulating foams, cyclopentane helps the European Green Deal achieve its objectives for energy efficiency. To help the insulation industry fulfill its 2030 climate targets, Haltermann Carless, a significant supplier, will soon be able to provide the market with increasing volumes of cyclopentane, with the expansion planned at its Germany site, which would make it the largest cyclopentane manufacturer by 2022.

Everyone's clear objective is energy efficiency. The "Fit for 55" initiative, issued by the European Commission, outlines a route for achieving climate neutrality in the EU by 2050, with a climate objective of at least a 55 percent net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as an intermediate goal. This represents a significant improvement over the previous goal of a minimum 40% decrease and will significantly impact how we live and conduct business within the EU.

Therefore, pentanes are essential for the insulating effectiveness of contemporary thermal insulation materials. They serve as a valuable basis material for PU- and EPS foams thanks to their specialized qualities as blowing agents and thermal insulators. Due to their favorable ecological profiles, which include zero ozone depletion (ODP), low global warming potential (GWP), and low heat conductivity (in the case of cyclopentane), they play a significant role in improving building energy efficiency and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. They are a safe substitute for hydrofluorocarbons (HF) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are both prohibited substances (HFCs). The most valuable pentane is cyclopentane, which adds more to the insulating qualities of polyurethane (PU) or polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam than iso- or n-pentane.

Cyclopentane is the most valuable pentane since it helps a polyurethane (PU) or polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam's insulating capabilities even more than iso-Pentane and n-Pentane do. PU-foam provides benefits despite Polyurethane (PU) base ingredients being more expensive than Polystyrene (PS): Since the insulation layer is thinner than PS-foam, construction is more flexible.

Haltermann Carless is uniquely positioned to provide custom pentane blends in any mixing ratio because it is the only firm in Europe to create all three forms of pentane. This enables makers of insulation materials to get the best pentane product for their application. Haltermann Carless has extensive knowledge of producing pentanes. Haltermann Carless is now investing in a new hydrogenation plant at the production site in Speyer to address the shortage of this highly sought-after feedstock and the expanding market demand for cyclopentane. The chemical business will significantly expand its capacity volumes and become the world's largest producer of cyclopentane with the plant's 2022 commissioning.

Comparison of Cyclopentane prices- Cross Product Price Curve-Cyclopentane, 99%, Cyclopentane, 95%