When chickens are little, they tend to peck at just about everything. What’s more, poultry farms use high-pressure hot water for cleaning purposes. These two factors cause the spray polyurethane foam-based thermal insulation in these installations to “rapidly deteriorate” and, “in just a few years, it has to be replaced by the farmer”, explains Mónica Fabra, Business Development Manager for Polyurethanes with Grupo Barcelonesa.
Chicken fix
As a solution to this problem, “at Barcelonesa, we recommend spraying on top of the foam a layer of a microcellular polyurethane polymer to act as a protector, such as BD SYS 6501, or what we call the chicken fix” states the group representative. Following application, the foam turns the surface into a surface that is “impossible to drill into” and its useful life is extended “for as many years as the farm will last, so in other words, forever”, Fabra guarantees. “A layer of 800 kg of weight per cubic meter is enough for areas that chickens can reach, and a thinner layer, 300 kg, in elevated areas”, the expert specifies.
The chicken fix is sprayed in the same way as the foam, and with the same equipment, meaning the same staff hired to spray the foam can also complete this task, which greatly simplifies and streamlines the process in comparison to other alternatives such as polyurea or paint coating. “Given its easy application and positive results, at Barcelonesa we always recommend BD SYS 6501 over other alternatives”, Fabra explains, and adds that the product can also be pigmented at the request of the client.
Other applications
Although the main application for this material is in poultry farming, it’s not the only one. “This microcellular polyurethane polymer also protects against inclement weather, sunlight, and corrosive environments”, states the Business Development Manager for Polyurethanes with Grupo Barcelonesa. For example, the expert points out that it is often used in “industrial warehouse roofing”.
The importance of sprayed polyurethane
Sprayed polyurethane is one of the thermal and acoustic insulation methods most commonly used in construction thanks to its excellent insulation capacity and its low thermal conductivity. Other features that make this material one of the construction industry’s favourite products are its waterproofing, the fact that it is inert and harmless, and is resistant to fungi and microorganisms. It is also inalterable, meaning it stays in the same place over time.
