KBB - January 2014 - (Page 71)

LEARNING CORNER Refrigerator Insulation: Behind the French Doors and Pullout Drawers Much of the buzz or about refrigerators these days is related to new drawer conﬁgurations, French door and drawer combinations or in some cases, refrigerators that can be controlled via smartphone. This ability to focus on aesthetics is in large part made possible by advances of chemistry, speciﬁcally polyurethanes. Polyurethanes are the insulation used inside today's refrigerators and freezers and are critical components of other appliances that consumers use every day, including water heaters. The inner workings of the refrigerator have become increasingly sophisticated and are consistently being improved upon to boost energy efﬁciency and reduce environmental impact in both the manufacture and use phases of the appliance. cool. Polyurethanes became widely used as refrigerator insulation in the mid-1980s. "Manufacturers quickly moved to polyurethanes for several reasons," said Ed Ball, manager of Polyurethanes Application Development, Insulation, Bayer MaterialScience. "Reduced energy consumption was a primary driver, and the increased efﬁciency of polyurethane insulation allowed manufacturers to thin the walls of the units, giving consumers more interior space with no increase in exterior volume." Polyurethanes are now the most widely used insulating materials for refrigeration. They help manufacturers meet and exceed energy consumption regulations established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Energy Efﬁciency History of Refrigerator Insulation The ﬁrst refrigerators, called iceboxes, needed no insulation and depended on cool climates, basements and ice blocks to keep items As the use of insulation in refrigerators became mainstream, refrigerator manufacturers' attention shifted to energy efﬁciency, driven in large part by increasingly stringent governmental regulations. Since the early Continued on page 72 CLASSIFIED DISPLAYS TO BUY KITCHEN CONSIGNMENTS CASH for SHOWROOM DISPLAYS! We buy your clienT's exisTing kiTchens AnD shoWrooM DisPlAys! Turn your client's existing kitchen into a valuable sales tool * RECEIVE THOUSANDS - For your client's kitchens and showroom displays * NATIONWIDE BUYERS - Thousands of qualified nationwide buyers. * WHITE GLOVE SERVICE - Professional, insured crews remove/pack/transport To get started, call us and we take care of the rest! 212-419-4537 888-887-5211 info@greendemolitions.com | www.greendemolitions.com Recycling Luxury for Recovery HELP WANTED James Martin is looking for motivated reps in select territories to represent a new exiting line of furniture oriented bathroom vanities. sell@kitchentrader.com www.kitchentrader.com Our Classiﬁed Section Gets Results! Call Diane Kennedy to find out more at 770 -291-5519. Visit our website @ www.jamesmartinfurniture.com or visit our space at KBIS N-455. If interested, please send resume and references to Wes@jamesmartinfurniture.com www.kbbonline.com / January 2014 + K BB 71 http://www.greendemolitions.com http://www.kitchentrader.com http://www.jamesmartinfurniture.com http://www.kbbonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - January 2014

KBB - January 2014
Contents
Online Contents
Editor’s Note
Show Director’s Note
Celebrity Design with...Taniya Nayak
All Abroad
Trends
Industry Outlook
Tech Savvy
KBIS Countdown to Design & Construction Week
Products
Design
Cover story: Historic kitchen revisits its roots in major update
Learning Corner

KBB - January 2014