Technology Opportunity: Closed-Cell Insulation Foams Enabled by Coated and Evacuated Nanoporous Materials

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a commercialization partner for a technical business opportunity entitled Closed-Cell Insulation Foams Enabled by Coated and Evacuated Nanoporous Materials.

Maintaining temperatures within the building and transportation sectors accounts for more than 40% of global primary energy consumption. Therefore, there is a strong need for sustainable and high-performance thermal insulation technologies that can reduce energy loss, increase indoor space and building longevity, and improve carbon performance of buildings compared to conventional insulation materials such as thermoplastic and thermoset foams as well as vacuum insulation panels (VIPs).

Solution

The buildings sector needs energy-efficient, slim, low-cost, and robust building envelope solutions to help maintain thermal comfort. Based on industrially relevant processes, ORNL closed-cell thermoset foam insulation technology combines dual hollow filler materials embedded in a thermoset matrix. Currently, this technology platform enables good insulation performance (R/in. ≥ 5), customizable insulation density, and robust mechanical properties and is expected to have better fire and smoke retardancy, all of which are attainable with an easily scalable, more environmentally friendly, and cost-effective fabrication process than commercial thermoset or thermoplastics foam insulation materials.

Impact

As the worldwide demand for energy savings calls for improvements in thermal performance, stricter standards such as the passive house and zero-energy concepts are necessitating development of new insulation materials. With an attractive value proposition of industrially scalable and manufacturable formulations and processes, integration of the ORNL technology into the insulation markets, replacing both the conventional and VIP systems, would provide significant economic and environmental benefit. Providing cost-effective, high-performance, customizable solutions will allow a range of industries to adopt this technology, which will not only decrease end-use energy consumption, but also allow for increased indoor space and reduced thickness of the building components and thus provide a product that is more appealing and valuable to customers.

Publications

Lamm, M. E.; Li, K.; Atchley, J.; Shrestha S. S.; Mahurin, S. M.; Hun, D.; Aytug, T. Tailorable thermoplastic insulation foam composites enabled by porous-shell hollow glass spheres and expandable thermoplastic microspheres. Polymer. 2023, 267, 125652.

Intellectual Property

US Patent Apps. 17/384317 and 17/509869, 2021

“Insulation Foam Enabled by Synergistic Foaming Strategies,” Invention Ref. No. 202305288

“Industrially Processable Thermoset Foam Insulation Dough,” Invention Ref. No. 81944294

About Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Technology Innovation Program

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is helping to speed new technologies to market while also building supportive and resilient ecosystems to the benefit of our local, state, and national communities.

The depth and breadth of our wide-ranging, world-leading expertise and facilities are unparalleled and provide a competitive advantage to our partners. The Technology Transfer team is driven by a shared mission to connect the lab’s unique strengths in scientific discovery, clean energy technology, and national security to the world’s biggest challenges.

ORNL’s Technology Innovation Program accelerates commercial adoption of promising lab-developed technologies by making targeted investments that enhance commercial readiness and raise a technology’s visibility in the region. Since 2012, ORNL has invested more than $11 million in 49 projects, resulting in 37 commercial licenses and options with partners ranging from Fortune 100 companies to early-stage startups.