Swedac developed Powerflex FF as an alternative noise barrier to lead and PVC-based materials for offshore vessels and platforms. The single layer barrier can be used to insulate bulkheads, hull sides, pipes, and ventilation ducts. Swedac introduced the material in response to a request from Statoil and restrictions by Scandinavian environmental authorities that required use of alternative materials to lead when available, said Technical Director Göran Falk. Statoil asked the company to seek alternatives to lead a few years back to improve safety levels for people living and working offshore.
Powerflex FF is fire-classified and can be incinerated or 100% recycled. Approved by Bureau Veritas, the mat is free of lead, bitumen, unrefined aromatic oils, and polymers containing halogens such as chlorine, bromine, and fluorine. Mineral-filled synthetic rubbers and thermoplastics comprise the flexible heavy layer of the sound barrier mat that insulates noise across steel and aluminum bulkheads and between ceiling/ floor surfaces.
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Falk said the mats are ideally suited for use in prefabricated accommodations. An additional potential use is insulation of pipes.
The mats weigh 5-15 kg/sq m and can be 2-6 mm thick. Standard sizes are 1,200 mm x 2,000 mm and 1,200 mm x 1,000 mm.
The surface weight of the wall determines airborne sound transmission loss for single-wall construction. Doubling the surface weight increases transmission loss by 6 dB.
Swedac installed Powerflex 100 FF at the Ringhorne production platform in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea early this year.
Göran Falk, Swedac. Tel: +46 31 744 18 90; fax: +46 31 22 99 60; [email protected]; www.swedac-acoustic.se.
