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| 9 May 2011 |
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Texlon© ETFE by Vector Foiltec. |
What is Product of the Month?
Welcome to our Green Product of the Month. Each month we take one of the products that the team has recently reviewed and showcase it here. Every week, The Future Build team are finding out about some new, really cool green product.
We will select a product which we particularly liked and highlight it on this page. If we receive comments from visitors these will also be taken into consideration when deciding on future Products of the Month, so if you have tried one of the products listed and would like to nominate it, please email us at thefuturebuild@masdarcity.ae
Material Matters – Texlon© ETFE
One of the most interesting materials the team has evaluated and profiled in The Future Build, which was used in the building of Masdar Institute façade is Texlon©ETFE.
A building's façade, commonly referred to as the 'building envelope”, separates the buildings occupants from the natural environment outside. The façade needs to be strong enough to protect people from the elements, yet flexible enough to allow light and air into the building. Texlon©ETFE was chosen for the Masdar Institute facade to combat these requirements. As Façades are an integral part of the building's internal environment, they can have a major influence its internal climate and energy consumption.
The architectural use of Texlon© ETFE films has been pioneered by Vector Foiltec. Texlon© ETFE is resistant to degradation both from ultraviolet light and atmospheric pollution. It exhibits less than a 10 percent decrease in material strength after 10,000 hours of concentrated artificial weathering, an affect that is offset by a similar increase in strength due to wind-generated molecular realignment. With up to 30 years of exposure at natural test sites in Germany and in Florida in the United States – an environment with salt water, high humidity and strong ultraviolet similar to the UAE –
Texlon© ETFE has suffered no perceptible adverse effects. It does not become brittle, nor does it discolor or deteriorate. Importantly, this durability is intrinsic to Texlon© ETFE, not the result of applied coatings that could themselves be vulnerable to decay.
For the Masdar Institute, extruded Texlon© ETFE film was used in the fabrication of Texlon© ETFE cushion envelopes. In contrast with the earlier generation of air-supported structures, which required significant life-long energy input to maintain structural stability, cushion systems are energy efficient because the blowers are merely maintaining pressure, not creating air flow. A single inflation unit, which can service 1000 square meters of cushions by operating up to 50 percent of the time, uses a similar amount of power as an ordinary domestic light bulb.
Texlon© ETFE also scores well in life-cycle costing by being low-maintenance material. Unlike fabrics, which are made of filaments that produce an uneven surface that can hold dirt and harbor mold, the smooth and non-stick surface of Texlon© ETFE is self-cleaned externally, by rain. The inner surface of cushions may be cleaned with water at approximately 5 – 10 year intervals, although in practice cleaning is rarely carried out because it simply does not seem to be necessary. Chlorodifluouroethane, the raw material of Texlon© ETFE, is not a petrochemical derivate and is admitted under the Montreal Protocol, which was implemented in 1989 to phase out substances that deplete the ozone layer.
Texlon© ETFE is an inert fluoropolymer that contains no leachable additives. The resin production process, which requires much less energy than glass production, is water-based and does not use solvents. Texlon© ETFE fits in well into the technical nutrient category of materials, satisfying the cradle to cradle strategy for sustainability. Although it is neither natural nor biodegradable, Texlon© ETFE is 100 percent recyclable.
Vector Foiltec, the supplier recycles all of the waste from the production process and is also a net importer of ETFE waste from other industries. While virgin Texlon© ETFE foils must be used for cushions, other components of the system such as air valves and hoses are readily made from the recycled materials. In addition, to the sustainable attributes of the material itself, Texlon© ETFE cushions envelopes contribute significantly to the environmental performance of the Masdar Institute building in which they are used. Texlon© ETFE cushions can contribute to credits for LEED and Estidama ratings so this could be a good time to try it out.
