Armacell is the first manufacturer of elastomeric insulation materials (FEFs) to carry out a life cycle assessment (LCA) and publish environmental product declarations (EPDs) assessed and independently certified by the Institut Bauen und Umwelte.V. (IBU). An LCA provides very specific information on an individual manufacturer’s products. The system of the LCA and EPDs requires information to be restricted to specific products and/or manufacturer. Armacell began the project in March 2014 on the basis of EN 15804 and ISO 14025, and all material flows from the extraction of raw materials to disposal were determined at the four European sites: Münster, Begur, Oldham and Sroda Slaska. The results were compiled for the products Armaflex Ultima, AF/Armaflex, AF/Armaflex Class O, NH/Armaflex, HT/Armafl ex and SH/Armafl ex. On the basis of this data, EPDs for
the products were drawn up, containing information on the life cycle of the products, LCA reference values and test results. 1m3 was chosen as the functional unit (the product-specific factor to which the environmental impacts are related). In addition, thermal conductivity of the respective products was used. Based on the system of DIN 15804, the modules shown in the figure were taken into account. Results show that when installed and used correctly, it is possible to assume a reference service life (RSL) of 50 years and more, practically only restricted by the service life of the equipment or building. The insulation performance hardly changes throughout the service life. The insulation effect can at the most be impaired by improper application during the installation or building phase. For more information, visit www.armacell.com/epd