SK PUCore's polyurethane insulator improves fire retardancy

SK PUCore, SKC's polyurethane subsidiary, was officially recognized for the fire retardancy of its polyurethane insulation material.

The company said on Monday that the urethane insulation material jointly developed with four other companies — SY World, Geumsung InsulationTech, Lotte E&C and Lotte Chemical Corp. — passed the semi-incombustible material suitability test held by Korea Conformity Laboratories.

This marks the first time that polyurethane insulation material, long considered a material that burns easily, has passed the semi-incombustible material suitability test recognized by the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme.

Insulation materials with outstanding insulation performance tend to catch fire easily. When flame retardancy is improved, insulation performance tends to deteriorate.

Polyurethane has been classified as a material with excellent insulation performance but poor flame retardancy.

To overcome such drawbacks in polyurethane, SK PUCore developed a polyol that has excellent insulation properties and does not burn easily, by establishing a "flame-retardant compounding system" that can be applied to polyol.

In addition, Lotte Chemical, which supplies basic polyol raw materials, contributed to securing semi-incombustible performance by developing raw materials with superior heat resistance. Lotte E&C plans to utilize the product at construction sites.

"As an insulation material with both insulation performance and flame retardancy, it will help minimize energy consumption while securing fire safety," said an official at SK PUCore.

Write to Jae-Fu Kim at hu@hankyung.com