What if the core of a cleanroom door didn’t come from newly produced materials, but from an old cold room or a wall panel? We at KleanLabs® joined forces with Purman® to execute this objective to the highest standard. The two Central European companies developed an industrial-scale recycling method that gives end-of-life PU/PIR foams a second life as high-performance cores for cleanroom doors and wall systems. The result offers reliable thermal and mechanical performance but with much less environmental impact.
This collaboration was proudly highlighted in Cleanroom Technology (September 2025).
Reinventing a trusted material
PU and PIR foam panels have been the backbone of cleanroom, cold room, and industrial wall systems. Their low thermal conductivity, high rigidity and long service life make them a beneficial choice for temperature-controlled environments.
However, these same qualities make them hard to recycle. Once the foam is bonded between metal or composite layers, it’s almost impossible to separate. After years of use, most panels are burned or landfilled, wasting materials and energy that could have been reused.
KleanLabs and Purman set out to change that. Their shared goal is to turn one of the cleanroom industry’s largest waste streams into a sustainable raw material source.
Turning old panels into new potential
At Purman®’s recycling facility, dismantled PU/PIR panels go through a detailed recovery process. The foam cores are removed, cleaned, shredded into fine particles, and mixed with a costum-formulated binder.
The binder combines synthetic materials with a paper industry by-product, allowing two waste streams to be reused at once. The mixture is then pressed into rigid panels that deliver cleanroom-grade performance once validated.
Key properties of the recycled core:
- Thermal conductivity (EN 12667:2001): λ ≈ 0.030 W/m·K
- Density: approx. 90 kg/m³
- Compressive strength at 10% deformation (EN 826:2013): 150–180 kPa
- Modulus of elasticity: 2500–3000 kPa
These values confirm that recycled panels perform just as well as conventional ones, maintaining insulation efficiency, rigidity, and dimensional stability.
KleanLabs®: The first to integrate recycled cores
As a long-established manufacturer of certified cleanroom doors, KleanLabs® was the first in the cleanroom door segment to integrate Purman® recycled panels into production; these panels had been used earlier in other sectors, such as furniture. Every KleanLabs door is built in a validated environment that meets EN 179 / EN 1125 standards, ensuring compliance even for emergency escape routes.
Additionally, these doors can also meet sustainability targets. The shift to recycled cores reduces the carbon footprint of each door, while maintaining the same strength, durability, and cleanroom compatibility expected by pharmaceutical, biotech, and industrial clients.
Sustainability beyond doors
Although the initial focus has been on cleanroom doors, the new material’s applications reach further. The recycled panels are ideal for pass-through cabinets, wall systems, and other high-performance installations where dimensional stability and insulation are critical.
KleanLabs helps facilities align with global climate goals and achieve certification standards such as BREEAM or LEED, without sacrificing performance.
Setting a new benchmark for the industry
The KleanLabs-Purman collaboration demonstrates that circular-economy principles can thrive even in the most demanding technical sectors. Recycled materials are no longer limited to low-spec consumer goods. They can now meet cleanroom-grade expectations for precision, reliability, and safety.
This shift is more than a technical upgrade, it is a change in mindset. Instead of seeing end-of-life cleanroom panels as waste, manufacturers can now treat them as valuable raw materials for new, sustainable infrastructure.
A new lifecycle for cleanrooms
With this approach, a facility’s transformation (whether through rebuilding, expansion, or modernization) takes precedence over closure. Panels from cold rooms, labs, and pharma spaces are recovered, processed, and turned into new cleanroom doors and walls.
KleanLabs® ensures these recycled-core products meet the same quality, safety, and performance standards as new ones, proving that cleanroom manufacturing can be both efficient and sustainable.
