Dow Corning to feature high-performance insulation, air and water barrier, structural glazing sealant at 2014 AIA Convention in Chicago
With today's push for sustainable construction, architects, designers and contractors are seeking to maximize thermal performance of glass curtainwalls, achieve long-lasting protection from air and water, and increase construction site productivity - all without sacrificing the ever-important design freedom that enables aesthetically pleasing buildings. Dow Corning Corporation - a global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation - continues to introduce technologies to address these needs.
Technologies on display at AIA
Dow Corning will showcase a collection of these technologies at the 2014 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention June 26 through 28 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The company will be in Expo Booth 3915.
Featured products include silicone solutions designed to enable sustainable construction while also allowing architects and designers the design freedom they desire. These include:
- High-performance insulation for next-generation façades - Enable slim wall constructions with high R-value performance with Dow Corning® Architectural Insulation Modules. Meet thermal bridging challenges with thin-profile Dow Corning® HPI-1000 Building Insulation Blanket.
- The Dow Corning® Silicone Air Barrier System - Overcome the shortcomings of other air and water barriers with this suite of compatible high-performance silicone products engineered to resist extreme environmental conditions.
- Dow Corning® 121 Structural Glazing Sealant - Simplifies repair; easy to install; speeds production times compared to one-part structural glazing sealing.
Dow Corning Architectural Insulation Modules (AIM™) combine the aesthetics and convenience of curtainwall construction with the energy-savings benefits of Dow Corning® Vacuum Insulation Panel. Dow Corning Architectural Insulation Modules are high-performance, thin-profile materials that can significantly increase thermal resistance in space-limited situations and enable slim wall constructions with high R-value performance of up to 50 hr-ft2-F/Btu in a 2-inch thickness (USI 0.11 W/m2K per 50 mm). Available in a variety of architectural finishes, these modules give architects new design possibilities and the flexibility to better balance needs for thermal performance and visual aesthetics.
Dow Corning HPI-1000 Building Insulation Blanket is a thin, flexible material that provides compression resistance and is easy to install in difficult profiles such as curves and corners. This makes the gray-colored insulation blanket an ideal solution for sealing challenging connection points in building envelopes, such as where glazing systems meet cavity walls, where above-grade and below-grade systems meet, and where parapets meet roofs. It can provide an R-value of 9.8 hr-ft2-F/Btu per inch (USI 0.58 W/m2K per 25 mm).
The Dow Corning Silicone Air Barrier System is a suite of compatible high-performance silicone technologies from Dow Corning designed to work in concert to help protect the entire building envelope.
With a low-VOC formulation ideal for green construction, the system includes:
- Dow Corning® DefendAir 200: The only 100 percent silicone liquid-applied air and water barrier on the market, Dow Corning DefendAir 200 cures to form a seamless, flexible membrane. It is vapor-permeable, exceeds industry requirements for airtight performance and provides UV resistance. It can now be applied at temperatures as low as 20°F (-6.7°C).
- Dow Corning® Silicone Transition System: Featuring 100 percent silicone rubber strips and corners that are easy to install with silicone sealants (not mechanical fasteners), this system forms a continuous airtight transition from the window to the wall.
- Dow Corning® brand silicone sealants - Certain Dow Corning silicone sealants are compatible for use with the components of the barrier system.
New Dow Corning 121 Structural Glazing Sealant , supplied in a two-part cartridge complete with a static mixer, is a neutral-cure RTV silicone sealant with a unique 1-to-1 ("121") mix ratio. With easy mixing; simplified dispensing; and a fast, 24-hour cure, this new structural glazing option can eliminate the need for specialized mixing equipment. It also minimizes quality assurance issues, offering excellent adhesion and structural strength on many substrates without using a primer.
Dow Corning façade expert to present session
In addition to its products, Dow Corning's expertise also will be featured during the convention. LEED® AP Stanley Yee, façade design and construction specialist for Dow Corning High Performance Building Solutions, will present "Transforming Façade Design Through Innovative Silicon-Based High Performance Insulation" (session EX307) from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. June 28.
Solutions based on proven technology
"Architects and building component designers need innovative materials to help them achieve their sustainable building goals while still feeling they have creative freedom. But they also need the assurance that those materials are based on proven technology," said Dow Corning New Business Market Development Leader Paul Wisniewski. "Dow Corning is capitalizing on our 70-plus years of silicon-based technology expertise to provide those solutions."
Information about Dow Corning's full range of silicon-based technologies for high-performance building is available at dowcorning.com/construction.