What challenges we encountered in implementing this project?
The certificate is issued by the International Code Council (ICC). It is the oldest and most recognized body certifying polyurethane foam in the USA. The process of receiving the certificate is extraordinarily complex and different from those we know in Europe. The product undergoes numerous tests, and its results depend on its subsequent classification. For us, it was particularly important to obtain a good result in the basic reaction to fire - ASTM E84 test, which would classify Purios 500 as Class A.
As part of the certification, an audit of the production plant was also carried out according to the ICC guidelines. In addition, the representatives of the certification body visited us during the sampling for the final test. It is important that these materials are always collected in the presence of an auditor who controls the correct production and sampling process to ensure the reliability of the tests. From now on, audits will be carried out regularly twice a year.
It is worth noting that we received this certificate thanks to joint work and involvement of many departments – comments Marta Pieńkowska, Director of R&D Department. Along the way, we encountered many difficulties and differences in relation to the European standards. The logistics connected with conducting the research was also a great challenge. Due to the large size of the samples, it was also necessary to organize foam application on-site in the USA. We started with the selection of the company conducting the tests. We chose the QAI Laboratories company, which provided professional support during the tests and reporting for ICC throughout the entire process.
During certification, in order to undergo fire tests, such as Appendix X or NFPA 286, we contacted the manufacturer of the flame-retardant coating. We chose a reputable coating manufacturer: DC315 – International Fireproof Technology / Paint to Protect, Inc. Our foam in combination with the DC315 coating successfully passed the tests. Purios 500 will also be listed in the DC315 coating certificate on the list of products with which it can be used.
Ocean Opportunities – Purios 500 available on the US market
The ICC-ES® certificate allows us to effectively compete with the Polish product on the US market. The polyurethane foam in the United States has a decidedly richer story, mainly due to the widespread construction of skeleton-based houses. We want Purios to be part of this story.
This is not the end of our work. We still have many other products that we can offer for the US market. We are currently preparing to start the certification of another product – a closed-cell foam spray based on a new generation foaming agent, namely Purios 2000.