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Clarifying the role of PIR materials and refining the classification of their thermal insulation properties will encourage the industry to increase investment in research and development, thereby driving the improvement of insulation materials toward higher performance and greater diversity. Recently, significant technological advancements have emerged in the field of building insulation materials in China: the new national standard GB/T 21558 \"Rigid polyurethane foam plastics for building insulation\" was officially approved on December 31, 2025, and will come into full effect on July 1, 2026. As the primary drafter of this standard and director of the construction market at Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd., Jin Yanli said in an interview with China Chemical News that the new version represents a comprehensive upgrade over the 2008 edition. With technological innovation as a driving force and adherence to safety standards as a core principle, it will push the industry to undergo optimization and develop in a more regulated manner. It serves to establish standard safeguards for building energy efficiency and fire safety, contributing to the high-quality transformation of the building insulation industry within the framework of the \"dual carbon\" goals. It is reported that the plan for revising this standard was officially issued on April 30, 2025. Led by companies such as Wanhua Chemical and Beijing Technology and Business University, and under the guidance of the National Technical Committee for Plastic Products Standardization (TC48), a specialized revision team was formed to carry out all the revision tasks. This revision is aligned with the industry’s needs for improving building energy efficiency and enhancing fire safety. It addresses issues present in the previous standards, such as insufficient classification and outdated technical requirements, through systematic improvements. In particular, it achieves significant breakthroughs in promoting technological innovation and ensuring building safety, thus serving as a benchmark for guiding the development of the industry. “One of the most significant features of the new standard is that it clarifies the role of PIR materials and specifies more detailed classifications for their thermal insulation properties, thereby encouraging the industry to increase investment in research and development and driving the advancement of insulation materials toward higher performance and greater diversity. ”Jin Yanli emphasized that currently, building-related energy consumption accounts for 37% of the total energy consumption in China. As a core element in building energy conservation, the performance of insulation materials directly determines the energy efficiency throughout a building’s entire lifecycle. Technological innovation is the key to overcoming the industry’s performance bottlenecks. According to Jin Yanli, the new standard for the first time defines rigid polyisocyanurate foam (PIR) and its classification relationship with rigid polyurethane foam (PUR). It also introduces specific performance requirements for PIR materials. “PIR materials offer significant advantages in terms of high-temperature resistance and dimensional stability. Their thermal insulation performance is more than twice that of traditional rock wool, and their weight is only 1/8 of that of rock wool. They carbonize when exposed to fire, giving them fire-resistant properties comparable to those of rock wool; they far outperform traditional thermoplastic insulating materials. ”She stated that previously, due to the lack of clear standards, the market application of PIR materials was limited. This revision of the standards fills that gap; it will spur enterprises’ enthusiasm for researching and developing PIR materials, promote their widespread use in the field of high-end building insulation, and facilitate the popularization of high-performance insulating materials. In terms of insulation performance classification, the new standard features a more refined upgrade; it abandons the previous single-classification system and introduces 8 insulation grades (from grade 020 to grade 040), with the required thermal conductivity ranging from 0.020 W/(m·K) to 0.040 W/(m·K). “This segmentation meets the growing demand for higher building energy efficiency standards, and it is also in line with the industry’s trend toward lower thermal conductivity, higher strength, and lighter weight. ”Jin Yanli explained that as the \"dual carbon\" goals are pursued, the market places increasingly strict demands on the thermal insulation properties of materials. Traditional materials can no longer meet the requirements of high-end projects. A more refined classification system for thermal insulation will encourage companies to increase their investment in research and development, focusing on the creation and production of products with low thermal conductivity. This will help to overcome the problem of homogeneous competition within the industry and promote continuous improvements in product performance. It also provides designers and contractors with clearer guidelines for making choices, enabling a better match between insulation materials and their intended applications. In addition to promoting technological innovation, strengthening the foundation of fire safety in buildings is also a key focus of this standard revision. Jin Yanli stated that the fire resistance of building insulation materials is directly related to the safety of people’s lives and property. The new version of the standard further clarifies the requirements regarding fire performance classification. Classification is still carried out in accordance with GB8624. Additionally, it is mandatory for products to comply with various **mandatory fire safety standards**, such as GB46520, GB55037, GB50016, and GB50072. “This requirement essentially sets a ‘red line’ for the fire resistance of building insulation materials at the source, forcing companies to optimize their production processes, improve the fire resistance of their products, and eliminate outdated production capacities that do not meet safety standards. ”Jin Yanli emphasized that the implementation of these standards will foster a competitive environment in the industry where \"safety comes first, and higher quality commands higher prices,\" thereby effectively improving the level of fire safety in buildings. It will also help to prevent potential fire hazards at the material level, thus ensuring the safety of buildings. This standard revision also brings about comprehensive improvements to the product classification system, physical and mechanical properties, and labeling requirements. In terms of the classification system, a three-dimensional grading system based on load-bearing requirements, combustion performance, and thermal insulation performance has been established. The load-bearing requirements are further divided into 7 compression performance levels to ensure optimal suitability for various application scenarios such as wall insulation, walkable roofs, and cold storage floors ； In terms of physical and mechanical properties, requirements for core density have been adjusted to encourage the development of products with low density, high strength, and excellent performance; in addition, tests for dimensional stability under humid and hot conditions have been introduced to better reflect actual engineering application conditions ； Regarding labeling requirements, product traceability is enhanced, with regulations stipulating that complete information must be indicated on the packaging and the smallest unit of the product, to facilitate market supervision and easier selection by various parties. Jin Yanli said that as a globally leading enterprise in the field of new chemical materials, Wanhua Chemical has consistently focused on polyurethane insulation materials. Thanks to its more than 20 years of technical expertise, it has developed systematic innovative solutions for building exterior protection and environmentally friendly interior designs. Leading this standard revision is not only an expression of the company’s responsibility but also a step toward advancing the industry. “Next, Wanhua Chemical will make full use of its technical advantages to promote the implementation of these standards, advance innovative solutions for polyurethane-based building insulation, strengthen cooperation within the industry chain, help companies adapt to the new standard requirements, optimize production processes and quality control systems, and work together to drive the development of the building insulation industry in a direction characterized by higher quality, greater standardization, and sustainability. ”Industry experts say that the introduction and implementation of the new national standard GB/T21558 represents an important milestone in the standardization efforts related to building insulation materials in China. It meets the current demands related to building energy efficiency, green construction, and fire safety, and will provide solid technical support for the scientific use of rigid polyurethane foam plastics in construction applications. The full implementation of standards helps to address prominent issues such as performance bottlenecks, homogeneous competition, and security risks in the industry, promotes continuous improvement in its technological innovation capabilities, and contributes to achieving the \"dual carbon\" goals in the construction sector as well as to improving the quality of buildings.