Wood fiber insulation: 100% biobased

For more than 150 years, Soprema has been producing high-quality products for waterproofing and insulation. In addition to thermal insulation boards in PUR/PIR or XPS, the multinational family company has also been producing wood fiber insulation under the name Pavatex for about seven years. And it does so in the Vosges, in the middle of a sustainable forestry area, the raw material for this 100% biobased insulation material.

Soprema carefully chose the location for its new Pavatex wood fiber insulation plant. "The factory was originally located in Switzerland but has been relocated and newly built in the Vosges Mountains," says Soprema's Jacco Dwars. And there's a reason for that. After all, the Vosges Mountains are home to many coniferous tree nurseries. "From the saw waste, wood shavings and chips, we extract fibers that are then steam cleaned and pressed into a finished product. By 'playing' with the pressing pressure, the end result ranges from soft wood fiber blankets to hard wood fiber insulation boards."

Very low carbon footprint

Pavatex wood fiber insulation is an insulation product with by far the least environmental impact, Dwars knows. "We source the raw materials within a radius of no more than 150 kilometers around the plant, and the energy required for steam cleaning the fibers is obtained from the cooling water of the nearby paper mill. The energy required for the plate presses is also extremely low. The factory is practically energy-neutral. All in all, therefore, a much more conscious production process than the production of glass or stone wool insulation, for example. Pavatex wood fiber insulation is therefore a product with a very low carbon footprint and also has a wide range of applications. It is a product that is definitely on the rise. More and more clients are even demanding that bio-based products be built and thus insulated."

Vaporopen

In terms of building physics, wood fiber insulation also has a number of advantages over conventional materials, Dwars continues. "The product naturally has the property of transporting moisture. So an HSB wall filled with Pavatex blankets(Pavaflex) can simply remain vapor open. This leads to a much more pleasant indoor climate. This makes the product also extremely suitable for renovation of monumental buildings, because the moisture balance in the building is not disturbed. The hollow fibers also have excellent acoustic properties and dampen noise. In addition, wood fiber insulation has a particularly high heat buffering with a phase lag of 6 to 7 hours. This means that in summer, for example, it takes much longer for a house to warm up inside. Finally, no harmful fibers are released when the product is processed. At the end of its service life, the material can be returned to nature or reused."

Wood fiber insulation is booming and is widely used in HSB elements and in timber construction projects with CLT (cross laminated timber). "In the latter case, a hard pressed board is then applied to the outside of the Pavatex insulation, which you can then finish with a product of your choice, such as facade stucco or stone strips, but you can also place a ventilated facade in front of it, for example. The product has a lambda value that varies between 0.036 and 0.040, depending on the pressing of the board."