This Company Creates Insulation Material that Resists Fire Up to One Hour

One company has created an all-natural wall insulation material that can withstand fire for up to one hour before it is compromised.

The Chile-based company, Rootman, created the eco-friendly product, which is referred to as Radicular Mattress (perhaps an overly technical translation from the Spanish term, but perhaps it can be spun into a pun about its environmentally radical presence in the market). The material sounds like an excellent idea in theory, but how, then, is it created? Another question which also comes to mind, naturally, is whether the process or the raw materials involved in the creation of the insulation results in any trees being cut down leading to unintended environmental consequences. This would, undoubtedly, present a counterintuitive scenario for the company.

Thankfully, however, the answer seems to be no. With the look of roughly matted hay, the versatile material is formed from the seeds of various plants (as the first half of the name suggests) that undergo a hydroponic process, a method which also saves water.

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Beyond a mere gimmick, the company’s reports a host of impressive benefits for its insulation materials, both for the environment as well as in terms of production efficiency:

• Weather is not an obstacle in the production process.

• No additional cost for synthetics or chemicals is required for its manufacture.

• Water consumption is relatively lower than with the alternatives.

Traditional forms of insulation, though more or less effective, have presented a whole host of widely reported environmental as well as safety issues, some of which include water and air pollution, as well as erosion, with the percentage of recycled content being used in their manufacture remaining relatively low. Have a look below at the miraculous product: 

All-Natural Insulation Outperforms the Alternatives

Most importantly, this eco-friendly insulation should silence the various critics who usually argue that biodegradable alternatives, though better for the environment, do not possess flame retardant properties. Undoubtedly, there are several companies which are developing safer polystyrene products which offer greater flame-retardant protection, however, if, given the choice between a naturally produced product which does the same, it seems in the better interest of sustainability to choose this product.

Rootman General Director Roberto discussed the benefits of the insulation compared to the leading alternatives: “The good thing is that it [offers] more thermal [protection] than Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) and polyurethane, which are the best insulators these days, and at the same [our insulation offers] better acoustic [insulation], something which the other materials do not [offer],” adding,

“Styrofoam burns in three seconds, followed by fiberglass at 15 seconds and polyurethane in 1 minute, [while] the [Radicular Mattress] burns in 60 minutes.”

García also proudly comments on the fact that the materials were locally created, developed, and manufactured with the main operations in Santiago while the manufacturing center being located in Los Angeles (Chile). The product, according to Rootman, also has agricultural applications. “This material [has become] a reality. Today we are looking for an investor who wants to [mass produce] this technology. This is 100% Chilean, it is patented, and it is good that we have technology that [is being exported], it is also developed in the [local region], which is not easy,” added García.