The production of mineral and stone wool of the company Izocam has a declaration – EPD ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION /Declaration on the impact of products on the environment/ according to ISO 14025 and EN 15804.
The products or systems that contribute to a project or building being called sustainable or energy efficient are not just about the building envelope or how much energy a product saves. Much more is put into the concept of a sustainable product – the entire life cycle of the product is examined, from its creation to the end of its useful life.
The declaration is issued when tests are carried out that show the environmental impact of the production of a given product or system. Information is given on the environmental impact of: the acquisition of raw materials, the consumption and efficiency of production energy, the content of chemical substances, the released emissions into air, soil and water and the generation of waste. The entire production cycle is monitored – from the extraction of raw materials to the receipt of the finished product.
Having such a declaration does not make the respective product sustainable or with less impact on the environment – rather, this declaration provides transparency for all stakeholders – architects, professional valuers, investors, end users, etc. with respect to all product features. The leading European certification programs for sustainable buildings give additional credits when installing products that have an EPD declaration and that meet specific requirements of the certification programs.
In the production of its materials, Izocam takes care that every stage of production does not harm the environment and people.
– The largest share in the raw material for cotton wool production /approximately 60%/ is waste glass from the automotive industry. The use of recycled material allows the protection of natural resources – reducing the yield of materials and the harmful emissions that are released during this process. The remaining raw materials are mainly obtained from local sources.
– The transportation of the raw materials to the plant is also planned and the route is optimized in the best way.
– The raw materials are melted in the industrial furnace, which is powered by natural gas – the main source of energy for production. The values of the exhaust gases emitted through the chimneys are measured by an accredited testing body;
– All scraps and waste from production are put back into the production cycle.
The production cycle of mineral wool is as follows:
The production of mineral wool takes place in the following stages:
1. The raw materials for the production of mineral wool are transported from the storage containers to the production hoppers by conveyor. These raw materials are then mixed in an appropriate ratio to produce a fibrous glass compound in the automatic compounding system.
2. The mixture thus prepared is transferred to furnaces with the help of conveyors and elevators. Automatic feeders transfer the mixture to the furnace and melt it at a temperature of 1200 °C to 1250 °C. A glass is obtained, which is homogenized by purifying it of air bubbles in the solidification section. The vulcanized glass leaves the furnace at around 1300 °C and is gradually cooled to 1050 °C – 1060 °C in order to achieve a fibrous structure.
3. The glass cooled to this temperature is fed to the fiber forming machine through a special platinum nozzle. The material falls into the basket of the machine and onto a disc that rotates at high speed. It turns into fibers under the influence of centrifugal force. The spray chamber sprays a binder onto these fibers. By spraying air, in the forming part of the machine, these fibers are given shape.
4. The resulting roll of mineral wool is treated with hot air at about 250 °C to polymerize the binder. The characteristics, such as density and thickness, which are set in advance in the forming part of the machine are formed in the polymerization oven.
5. The finished rolls or plates are cut to the desired size and packed with polyethylene film.
