Owens Corning have launched their Pure Safety™ high performance insulation at The Home Depot. The product is the first of its type to be certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) following research and testing at airmid healthgroup.
Fiberglass insulation is a building material with the potential to affect the indoor environment by releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulates and/or fibers into the air. Indoor air quality could also be adversely affected if the insulation serves as a reservoir for mold growth. Owens Corning engaged with airmid healthgroup to carry out a rigorous assessment of the product to determine its suitability for certification.
The constituents of the product were reviewed and the product was tested to the ASTM D5116 Small Chamber Test and California Specification 01350 Test Methods to confirm that any VOC emissions were within certification thresholds. Further testing was carried out in our climate controlled environmental test chambers where a typical installation in stud partition cavity walls was simulated. Airborne particles, dust and fiber levels were measured during installation and following a series of room disturbances. Finally, a method based on ASTM C1338 (2008); Standard Test Method for Determining Fungi Resistance of Insulation Materials and Facings was used to demonstrate that the product did not support mold growth.
Related testing
http://www.airmidhealthgroup.com/services/climate-controlled-environmental-chamber-studies.html
http://www.airmidhealthgroup.com/overview-microbiology-laboratory.html
About airmid healthgroup
airmid healthgroup helps clients with products and services related to the built environment to differentiate their customer offerings through health relevant marketing claims. Clients include Dyson, LG, Proctor & Gamble, Shaw Floors, 3M, Stanley Steemer, Fellowes, Tarkett and Hollander. We create value for clients through a number of collaborative strategies, including field research projects, environmental test chamber studies and licensing our own intellectual property. We specialise in studying the relationship between allergens, viruses, bacteria, molds or other ultra-fine particles in the air and on surfaces to the spread of illness and disease in buildings. As a leading authority on biomedical and aerobiology research, we use this knowledge to improve products and services to make the indoor environment as healthy as possible.
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) develops, manufactures and markets insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites. Global in scope and human in scale, the company’s market-leading businesses use their deep expertise in materials, manufacturing and building science to develop products and systems that save energy and improve comfort in commercial and residential buildings. Through its glass reinforcements business, the company makes thousands of products lighter, stronger and more durable. Ultimately, Owens Corning people and products make the world a better place. Based in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning posted 2015 sales of $5.4 billion and employs about 16,000 people in 25 countries. It has been a Fortune 500® company for 62 consecutive years. For more information, please visit www.owenscorning.com.