The Past Several Years of Spray Foam Insulation

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Spray foam insulation as it is today came out of the 1980s. However, spray foam actually came about several decades ago, which began by Otto Bayer in the 1940s with his development of polyurethane foam. Otto Bayer was an industrial chemist, who during the late 1930s, started development with polyurethane in Germany. This technology made its way to America in the early 1940s by David Eynon. He was the president of Mobay, part of the war effort-conglomerate which was a result of the partnering of industry chemical giants, Bayer and Monsanto Corporation. Polyurethane polymers in the 1940s, was primarily used for aviation and military productions. The high demand for war machines during WW II used most of these high-grade plastic for applications throughout the war. The 1950s began to see polyurethane used as home insulation. The "Blendometer” was the invention that allowed for the growth of polyurethane applications to make home insulation the norm. Walter Baughman created the Blendometer in 1953, which was the first machine to blend the components needed for the creation of polyurethane foam. The Blendometers accurate mixing of chemicals developed what was then called an expanding foam or plastic elastomer. When applied it was liquid, then it would expand into a thick foam which hardened when dried. Polyurethane polymers found uses in a variety of ways throughout the following decades, particular in the auto industry. However, it was still more than two decades away when foam would come to be a widely used resource in the home insulation processes. In 1963 Fred Gusmer built the first dedicated spray machine. This new invention led to advancements in the1960s and 1970s making spray foam use in home insulation easier and more affordable. The term "super insulated" home came about. The 1970s energy crisis led home builders and homeowners to look for ways on improving energy efficiency in homes. This crisis led to technologies in advanced spray foam systems. It was actually the advancement of the spray nozzle which led the way in home improvement projects and construction. This nozzle allows for accurate spraying as well as getting into tight spaces. Spray foam comes as two main elements that are separate until they are ready to be mixed together upon application with the foam machine. Isosynate is the actual expansion chemical. Spray foam insulation in the 1980s and early 1990s was met with a great deal of controversy. Different marketing schemes from a variety of companies promoted variations of foam insulation with some companies trying to promote water blown foam applications. There are two types of spray foam insulation: closed and opened spray foam. Open spray foam refers to the tiny cells that do not completely close whereas the opposite is true for close spray foam. Spray foam has now become widely used in the home construction field today – Spray Foam Solutions.