Non-fibrous, flame retardant materials for sustainable buildings

The Smart City Mission has ushered in zeal and vigour in the construction industry that abounds on the current momentum of smart city projects. With this springs the need for sustainable construction for which high-quality insulation is imperative. The market trend is now towards smart insulation materials that are safe, non-deteriorating, non-fibrous, flame-retardant, fungi-free, and are forming part of crucial specifications, explains Tushar Dastane, Manager Marketing & Training, Aerolam Insulations Pvt Ltd.

What is your contribution in making better smart cities?
Aerolam Insulations is focused on innovative insulation methods in which both the material and its applications become simplified. Our flagship insulation material – air bubble insulation and the latest XLPE-chemically cross-linked closed cell insulation are combined to offer an Aerolam-Unique grade of insulation, which delivers a performance that is a combination of bubble insulation & the XLPE foam.

These latest products are finding its applications not only in the industrial sheds / pre-engineered buildings, but also in the residential segments, wherein the top-most floor RCC slab which is exposed to the Solar ambient, gets heated and starts to re-radiate the heat down below. By using our Ultra / Unique underdeck insulations, the heat flow is retarded thereby reducing the energy spent on HVAC loads.

The insulation materials being tested for fungi and bacteria free tests are safe to use in residential / food-malls / hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Rigorous tests and certifications by third-party are carried out at regular intervals for the materials that we produce. These tests are done at Laboratories of repute in India, Singapore, United States and Middle East.

Our insulation products not only cater to the building, structural industry, but also to the automotive segments as well. The XLPE technical foams meet the automotive conversion industry standards and also hold the capacity to make tailor-made grades possible.

Discuss the latest applications in insulation with respect to smart cities?
In earlier days, the Plaster of Paris (PoP), or false ceilings, were flooded with the conventional insulating materials. We have observed market trend is now towards smart insulation materials. Materials that are safe, non-deteriorating, non-fibrous, flame-retardant, fungi free (no bacteria growth) are becoming the important specifications.

Another factor is for ease of application methods, using simple tools to cut, trim and paste are equally proving to be a contractor’s natural choice of selection.

Ready to use insulated pipe forms, tube sections are gaining momentum in the hot and cold usages. Solar water heaters, chilled water lines demand quality performance and long-lasting results. Ease of fitment and ease of jointing become hassle free, when Aerolam Pipe sections are the chosen grades.

In fact, we make the largest diameter pipe sections using the XLPE technology, which is 1200 mm with 50mm wall thickness.

In the near future, these pipe sections will be used in specification for high-rise, hospitals, malls, hotel industry in a large capacity to achieve the energy reductions.

How do you see the demand for insulation this year?
Speaking about 2019, the local market demand would jump up by 70 per cent over last year. Large scale investments in the textile parks, food parks, warehousing sectors will be the key drivers along with healthcare and hospitality industry further boosting the specifications in insulation categories.

Please share your outlook for this year.
We hope to achieve and better our reach to the PAN India insulation markets with about 40 per cent growth in overall volumes. Bring out the best of the innovations that are useful in practice of application methods. Focus more on the design professionals who provide the insight and specifications to drive the project results. Investment in training of manpower at the grassroot level is also on the anvil. Ultimately, it’s the people who matter and traditional insulation markets are just about to give way to the new-age materials. We, at Aerolam Insulations, are upbeat for the 2019.

For ease of application methods, using simple tools to cut, trim and paste are equally proving to be a contractor’s natural choice of selection.
Tushar Dastane, Manager Marketing & Training, Aerolam Insulations Pvt Ltd

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