100 Stories2000 Neoma™ foam, a Foamed CFC-Free Heat-Insulating Material

After conducting thorough research into unexplored technologies, Asahi Kasei perfected the heat-insulating material, Neoma™ foam. This was the industry’s first high-performance foamed CFC-free heat-insulating material. It was a major step forward for Asahi Kasei’s Thermal Insulation Division, which started operating in 1962.

In the mid-1990s, fluorocarbons were starting to become an issue because they contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer and climate change, but foaming technologies commonly used fluorocarbons to create heat-insulating materials. In response to this, Kazumoto Yamamoto, the president at the time, decided to commercialize CFC-free foaming.

In 1997, engineers started conducting countless research to develop this unprecedented technology and succeeded in establishing a CFC-free manufacturing technology that operates for long periods of time. The pilot plant was completed in Onahama, Fukushima Prefecture in 1998, and the commercial plant was finally completed in 2000. The product was named Neoma™ foam, originating from the word “new material.” It was mainly used with the external heat-insulating construction method in residential areas and started getting used in many houses.

It was very well-received and won the Energy Conservation Grand Prize from the Energy Conservation Center, Japan in 2001 as an environmentally-friendly high-performance heat-insulating material. In 2003, it won the Ozone Layer Protection and Global Warming Prevention Grand Prize. After that, Neoma™ foam also received great feedback for its fire-resistant properties, expanding its use to non-residential buildings.

The use of Neoma™ foam eventually expanded beyond the field of housing and started getting used in fields that require high performance, such as bullet trains and airplanes. In 2005, they started a production line that uses recycled materials. Having created an excellent reputation across multiple fields, it became possible to widely collect waste beyond municipalities. That year, Neoma™ foam’s advanced technology won the Invention Prize at the National Commendation for Invention.

Neoma™ foam never lost its momentum, and in 2014, the expansion work of the manufacturing line at the Neoma™ foam plant was completed, enhancing its supply to the market. Heat insulation board, which was created specifically for heat insulation renovation, was launched around the time. This product enabled consumers to carry out heat insulation renovation while staying in their homes to reduce their burden. Heat insulation board’s promotional activities are still ongoing.

It has recently won the Minister of the Environment Award at the 18th GSC Awards, and the Environmental Technology Award at the 52nd JCIA Technology Awards hosted by the Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) for contributing to the reduction of environmental impact. It still has an outstanding reputation even though it has been about 20 years since its launch.

Asahi Kasei has been providing solutions to environmental problems through heat-insulating materials. Neoma™ foam celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020. Its ideal heat insulation properties have expanded, and it has started its journey for the next 20 years to achieve a sustainable society.