SLENTEX® provides high-performance industrial pipe insulation at BASF’s Ulsan manufacturing plant
- SLENTEX®, the non-combustible, flexible insulation material used in industrial applications for the first time
- New generation of insulating material helps reduce ‘corrosion under insulation’ of equipment in plants
Seoul, Korea – February 19, 2021 – High-performance insulation material SLENTEX® has been applied in industrial applications for the first time. The flexible, non-combustible construction solution was adopted in the interiors of close to 400 square meters of pipes, valves, and flanges in BASF’s manufacturing plant located in Ulsan, Korea.
“At our Ulsan plant, we are constantly exploring ways to lower the maintenance cost of our machinery and auxiliary equipment. One of the areas that we looked into was how we could better insulate our steel and metal equipment from adverse environmental effects. Also, to reduce pipe maintenance costs caused by corrosion under insulation,” said Sun Jung Yoo, Site Manager of BASF’s Ulsan manufacturing plant. “Thanks to SLENTEX’s nano-porous aerogel structure and water vapor diffusion [µ ~ 5] feature with hydrophobic surface, there is a reduction of condensation on the pipes. It increases their durability and usability. Over time, we also lower operating and maintenance costs with reduced downtime in our plant.”
The innovative aerogel material solution provides several other advantages. Compared to some other aerogels, SLENTEX has a more consistent surface, thickness, and robust property. With a thickness of only 10 mm, it is 30-40% slimmer than traditional materials such as perlite. These features make SLENTEX easy to install; onsite applicators can swiftly wrap the material around the plant equipment before securing it with conventional tools like wires.
Furthermore, with thermal conductivity of declared 19 mW/m*K, SLENTEX displays outstanding energy efficiency while being non-combustible.
“The versatility and high-performance properties of SLENTEX makes it suitable for a wide range of insulation applications in the manufacturing and construction industries. In addition to industrial pipes, we are also exploring its usage for the cryogenic and shipping industries,” said Rohit Ghosh, Head of Business Management Construction Industry, Performance Materials Asia Pacific. “In Asia, we have successfully installed SLENTEX in a residential project that Hokushu adopted for external thermal insulation in its new Passive House in Japan.”
SLENTEX can also be applied in the window reveals’ external insulation, interior insulation for the flooring of residential buildings, interior wall, and flooring insulation of indoor kids swimming pools.
For more information on SLENTEX, please visit https://plastics-rubber.basf.com/global/en/performance_polymers/products/slentex.html
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
About BASF’s Performance Materials division
BASF’s Performance Materials division encompasses the entire materials’ know-how of BASF regarding innovative, customized plastics under one roof. Globally active in four major industry sectors – transportation, construction, industrial applications and consumer goods – the division has a strong portfolio of products and services combined with deep understanding of application-oriented system solutions. Key drivers of profitability and growth are our close collaboration with customers and a clear focus on solutions. Strong capabilities in R&D provide the basis to develop innovative products and applications. In 2019, the Performance Materials division achieved global sales of €6.06 bn. More information online: www.plastics.basf.com.
