The creation of TruExterior Siding & Trim, with its industry-leading combination of performance and aesthetics, was the result of years of research, development, and testing. Today, that work continues at Boral’s Discovery Center in San Antonio, Texas, where chemists, engineers, and other scientists are continually studying existing products while innovating to uncover the next big thing in building materials.
For example, to ensure TruExterior performs as promised in both cold and hot climates, our scientists studied (and studied and studied) the product’s reaction to thermal extremes using several high-tech machines. These machines include:
• Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA): This machine decomposes a material thermally. As the machine ramps up the heat, scientists monitor the material’s weight as its organic compounds break down, either producing or consuming gases. From the weight change and temperature, the active reaction can be extrapolated. For the end-user, this ensures a siding product won’t produce toxic gases or other hazardous compounds in extreme temperature situations, such as fires.
• Calorimeter: Similar to monitoring calories in food, this machine tracks the energy of chemical reactions. By understanding the processes involved in the formation of a material, scientists and engineers can optimize them to create the best possible finished products at competitive prices.
• Thermochemical Analysis: This machine observes how a material reacts under thermal stress by heating the material up and cooling it down. Our scientists use this machine to calculate a material’s coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), i.e., how much it expands and contracts in the heat and the cold. This test was essential in the development of TruExterior, which experiences very little thermal expansion and contraction. 
• Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC): This machine is used to study what happens to polymeric materials as they are cooled and heated. By tracking changes in heat rate as energy is applied, the heat capacity, glass transition temperature, heat of melting, percent crystallinity, and other properties can be evaluated. These are carefully controlled to create an end-product that won’t adversely react under heat or cold.
Ready to put our efforts to the test? Request a sample of TruExterior Siding & Trim here.