Solstice to Sample a Non-PFAS Foam Blowing Agent With Customers in Early 2027
The candidate is nonflammable and low-GWP, and Solstice says on its own evaluation that it forms no trifluoroacetic acid in the atmosphere. Sampling will cover spray foam, appliance insulation, insulated panels and boardstock.
Solstice Advanced Materials plans to begin sampling a developmental foam blowing agent with selected customers worldwide in early 2027, the company said Nov. 9, pitching the candidate as one that would not be classified as a PFAS chemical. Solstice said the molecule was designed for thermal performance, nonflammability, low global warming potential and approximately zero ozone depletion potential. It did not name the compound or give a GWP figure.
The PFAS claim rests on what Solstice called its internal evaluation, measured against two definitions footnoted in the release: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's at 40 C.F.R. Part 705 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's 2021 definition. Solstice also said, again on internal analysis of atmospheric decomposition pathways, that the candidate would not form trifluoroacetic acid or add to its accumulation in the environment.
"Customers have been very interested in foam blowing agent solutions that would not be classified as PFAS while retaining other important characteristics," said Jeff Dormo, senior vice president for refrigerants and applied solutions.
Where the Current Molecule Stands
The OECD definition counts any substance with at least one fully fluorinated methyl or methylene carbon, which in practice means a CF3 or CF2 group. Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent, the company's existing product, is HFO-1233zd(E), with the molecular formula CF3-CH=CClH according to its technical data sheet. That sheet lists a GWP of 1 and a 26-day atmospheric life.
Solstice said it will keep supporting that portfolio while the new candidate is evaluated. The sampling program will test formulation compatibility, processing behavior and application requirements in spray polyurethane foam, appliance insulation, insulated panels, boardstock and other rigid foams.
Why This Matters to Contractors
The insulation bar a non-PFAS candidate has to clear is spelled out in Solstice's own footnotes: R-7.0 per inch for HFO-blown closed-cell spray foam against R-4.5 for water-blown foam, and R-7.0 against an industry average of R-5.6 for polyisocyanurate board, both drawn from published data of unnamed manufacturers. Water-blown foam is already the fluorine-free option on the market, so the new molecule earns a place only if it keeps most of that 2.5-point spray foam gap. Sampling results from formulators in 2027 will be the first outside evidence on whether it does.
Sources
- Solstice Advanced Materials, "Solstice Advanced Materials Reaches Key Development Milestone for Next-Generation Foam Blowing Agent," PR Newswire, Nov. 9, 2026. prnewswire.com
- Solstice Advanced Materials, "Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent Technical Information." solstice.com
- Food Packaging Forum, "OECD report reconciles PFAS terminology," July 14, 2021. foodpackagingforum.org