Tag Archives: Material

How to Handle Spray Foam Insulation Barrel Sets

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Two-component spray foam systems, for sprayed-in-place or spray-on polyurethane foam insulation blends, are primarily packaged in steel 55 gallon barrels and distributed by their weight in volume as a paired set.

A paired set is two barrels consisting of one “A” side (Activator/Isocyanate) and one “R” side (Resin/Polyol) ranging in a combined liquid weight from 970 lb to 1050 lb. It should be noted that in many instances the components are referred to as “A” and “B,” respectively.

How Are the Spray Foam Systems Produced?

In general, the spray foam systems are produced having at minimum six months shelf-life within the original unopened barrel. Stored between 60° and 75° F (15° – 24° C check manufacturer SDS for temperatures), they do not require additives, but “B” sides may require mixing and/or continual agitation.

The barrel colors vary between blenders. As a result of the highly reactive nature of the two components, cross contamination of the barrels must be avoided. A standard procedure in spray foam rigs to identify each side component by color is often used where red identifies the “A” side and blue identifies the “B” side.

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How Much Spray Foam Per Minute are you Spraying?

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Pounds per minute of spray foam can be determined by 4 factors.

  1. What spray foam machine you are using vs the output it is designed to perform?
  2. What pressure is the spray foam being sprayed?
  3. What spray tip or mixing chamber is being used to spray the spray foam?
  4. How much spray foam can the spray foam mechanic consistently control given the spray foam application?
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Material Spraying Issues

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It’s less common when material will not spray on the ‘A’ side and ‘B’ side at the same time, but when it happens, there could be a number of factors at play. If you find yourself in this position, take a look at these common reasons;

  1. Proper operation of the pumping system. (execute initial startup checks)
  2. The product cold, it doesn’t flow properly.
  3. Failing delivery supply like transfer pump wear or neglect.
  4. Your regulator could be malfunctioning; Are you getting enough air supply to your Transfer Pump?
  5. Failing packings from wear or neglect.
  6. Clogged screens can also cause major issues in proper flow.
  7. Recent crossover in hose or contamination within the gun itself.

Weight vs Volume When Mixing

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Spray foam material is packaged, sold and shipped on the basis of weight. Therefore, in order to figure the volume of a product packaged in the drum, converting the weight of the product within the drum into gallons is required. To do so, the specific gravity or weight per gallon of material is required information. There is likely to be a difference between manufactures, so confirm with the product supplier to provide this info or if a scale is available, weigh the container first. Specific Gravity and per gallon weight of the liquid for some manufactures are provided on the SDS or product data sheet (formerly MSDS).
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4 Ways to Save Material

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Material is a costly investment in any project and can easily change your profit margin if you’re not careful. Time has been a learning experience and our experts prepared the top four ways to save material and prevent waste on the job site and in storage.

1. Balance the chemical ratio: When applying spray foam, it’s important to keep your chemical ratio accurate based on the material supplier’s specifications. Is your foam not sticking to the substrate? Is it fishy smelling? These are all signs your ratio is off, requiring a second application and wasting additional material. The fishy smell is a result of the foam being resin rich, requiring a decrease in the “A” side.

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Remove moisture from your drums

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The “A” component, while in the drum, will react with atoms in the air resulting in the formation of crystal like skin structures. The “A” material should be sealed properly to limit the potential of these formations that if allowed to form will contaminate the liquid. Contamination may make the liquid impossible to process, requiring disposal and wasting of the product. Once the drum is opened, the air needed to replace the displacement of the “A” material being removed should be dry. This is achieved be either low pressure nitrogen being let in the drum as the material is displaced or filtered through a desiccant dryer.

Open-Cell Spray Foam vs. Closed-Cell Spray Foam

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How to Choose the Right Foam for Your Portable Spray Foam Equipment

When determining which type of polyurethane spray foam insulation to install, careful consideration should be placed on which type of cell is appropriate for the application, whether open-cell spray foam or closed-cell spray foam. SprayWorks offers portable spray foam equipment that is designed to accommodate both open-cell spray foam insulation and closed-cell spray foam insulation, giving our customer true versatility when it comes to performing essential work.
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