Dow Building Solutions (DBS), a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, has announced it is now producing all STYROFOAM Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Insulation sold in Canada with BLUEDGE Polymeric Flame Retardant Technology, a next-generation sustainable flame retardant solution.

“Building on 75 years of innovation, our researchers continue to innovate STYROFOAM Brand Insulation to offer architects and builders high performing solutions to meet the demands of global energy efficiency regulations and sustainable building design,” says Tim Lacey, global business director for Dow Building Solutions.

DBS has already successfully converted its STYROFOAM Brand XPS foam plants in Japan in 2014 and Europe in 2015 to BLUEDGE. The business will globally convert the remaining STYROFOAM Brand XPS foam plants as soon as it is practically and commercially feasible. This phased approach allows for a controlled conversion process that meets the business’s quality requirements in every region and, at the same time, ensures product availability meeting market demands across regions.

BLUEDGE Polymeric Flame Retardant Technology was invented by Dow in 2004 as a challenge to find a more sustainable flame retardant solution for polystyrene foam. It is a drop-in technology to replace hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) a common flame retardant with a less favorable environmental profile. Today, BLUEDGE technology is incorporated in Emerald Innovation 3000 marketed by the Chemtura Corporation, FR-122P marketed by ICL and GreenCrest marketed by the Albemarle Corporation.

These next-generation sustainable flame retardant alternatives are available to other extruded polystyrene (XPS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation manufacturers transitioning away from HBCD-based flame retardants through these licensees.