Specialty chemicals company LANXESS is launching Purventis, a new flame-retardant platform aimed at the growing demand for higher-performance insulation materials with lower emissions and greater regulatory resilience.

 

The platform’s first commercial product, Purventis Core, is a reactive, halogen-free phosphorus flame retardant designed for rigid polyurethane (PU) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation foams.

 

LANXESS says the technology is aimed at polyol formulators, PU systems houses and manufacturers of insulation boards and spray foams seeking to balance fire performance, emissions, processing requirements and evolving regulatory demands.

 

Rigid PU and PIR foams are widely used in energy-efficient building applications, including construction panels, roof and wall insulation, and closed-cell spray foam. As regulatory requirements evolve across markets, insulation producers are increasingly seeking alternatives to conventional additive flame retardants such as Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) and Triethyl phosphate (TEP).

 

Purventis Core is based on technology previously marketed by LANXESS as Levagard 2100. The product is a low-viscosity, non-halogen, non-aromatic, TPP- and phenol-free reactive phosphorus flame retardant.

 

Unlike additive flame retardants, Purventis Core chemically bonds into the polyurethane matrix. LANXESS says this approach can help producers navigate reformulation, requalification and specification changes while maintaining the performance requirements of rigid PU/PIR insulation.

 

“With Purventis, we are creating a clearer platform for the insulation market,” says Heiko Tebbe, Head of Application Development Polymer Additives at LANXESS. “Purventis builds on a technology our customers know and addresses the questions that are becoming more important in PU and PIR insulation: regulatory resilience, low emissions, documentation and reliable foam performance.”

 

According to LANXESS test data, Purventis Core showed no contribution to total volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, which the company says demonstrates that the product is incorporated into the polymer.

 

The technology also showed high flame-retardant efficiency compared with TCPP and TEP. Lower flame-retardant dosage can have implications for formulation design, cost, processing and the final properties of the foam.

 

LANXESS test data further indicate that Purventis Core can support mechanical foam performance, with foams remaining stiffer than those produced using conventional flame retardants.

 

With Purventis, LANXESS is positioning its established reactive phosphorus technology for insulation manufacturers preparing PU/PIR product portfolios for changing regulatory requirements and market expectations.