Natural Fibre Insulation
BFI creates healthy indoor air quality, has exceptional thermal and acoustic properties, and is designed for use in walls, floors and roofs. TTS’ unique knowledge of biofibre properties and their effect on final product characteristics allow us to blend biofibre inputs to customize insulation for a wide range of different applications.
TTS’ BFI will be produced at a unique nonwoven engineered biofibre mat plant in Drayton Valley, Alberta. Biofibre inputs will include aspen and SPF (spruce, pine and fir) wood residue, hemp and flax fibre, and potentially fibre from cereal straws and municipal fibre waste destined for landfills. Thermal bonding technology using bio-based polylactic acid (PLA) will be used in TTS’ natural fibre insulation.
All of TTS’ insulation products are produced in accordance with rigorous quality control standards. Their suitability for market will be ensured through the use of an independent third party certification scheme such as the ICC evaluation service (link to http://www.icc-es.org).
To view the technical specifications of TTS’ biofibre insulation, please click here.
Advantages of TTS’ BioFibre Insulation Products
TTS’ biofibre insulation has a variety of advantages over conventional fibreglass insulation:
Performance Characteristics
- The thermal performance characteristics of TTS’ biofibre insulation are equal to or better than fibreglass insulation (R3-3.5 per inch), and it also reduces temperature fluctuations.
- The high density of TTS’ biofibre insulation results in exceptional acoustic performance, reducing the transmission of unwanted noise.
- TTS’ BFI has excellent fire retardant properties, as it is treated with a fire retardant. In addition, because natural fibres resist shrinkage under high temperatures and exhibit a higher resistance to radiant heat flow compared to fibreglass.
- Our biofibre insulation is lighter than fibreglass, placing significantly less tension and stress on internal ceiling structures.
- TTS’ insulation is naturally resistant to bacteria, mould and mildew.
Environmental Benefits
- TTS’ biofibre insulation is composed entirely of sustainable natural fibre sourced from agricultural and wood residues that would otherwise be burned or consigned to landfills, and is bonded with polylactic acid (PLA) resin, which is also derived from renewable resources. These features significantly reduce GHG emissions compared to fibreglass insulation.
- Our biofibre insulation also has excellent end-of-life characteristics, as it is completely biodegradable, and can be composted, incinerated for combined heat and power generation, or recycled into new products by TTS.
- A recent Life Cycle Analysis of a similar biofibre insulation product in Europe found it to be better than carbon neutral, reducing more CO2 from the atmosphere than is used throughout the production process. This compares extremely favourably with the highly energy intensive production of fibreglass products.
- Because of its CO2 profile and end-of-life characteristics, TTS’ BFI can contribute substantially to LEED points.
Health Benefits
- TTS’ BFI helps to create a healthy internal building environment by actively assisting in the control of moisture in buildings, which promotes mould and dust mites and has been directly linked to allergic reactions and other autoimmune diseases.
- TTS’ biofibre insulation is extremely safe and non-toxic, and because it will not irritate the skin, eyes or respiratory tract like fibreglass, protective clothing does not need to be worn during installation.
Last Updated on Friday, 19 August 2011 19:34
