Azores Ocean is a modern oceanographic research vessel under construction for the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The project is being implemented under Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR – Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência) and financed by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU programme. The investment aims to strengthen the region’s marine research infrastructure and enhance scientific capabilities in the central Atlantic. Purman® contributed to the project by providing the insulation solution for the onboard sampling lab, delivering laboratory container insulation that supports reliable operation in a demanding marine environment.
The Azores Ocean – Research Vessel
The approximately 46-meter-long, diesel-electric powered vessel is designed for up to 15 days of autonomous operation. It will accommodate dry and wet laboratories, sample processing units, scientific data acquisition systems, and dedicated research workspaces. Its primary mission includes marine biological research, deep-sea mapping, biotechnological sampling, and long-term monitoring of marine ecosystems.
The Onboard Research Laboratory Container
As part of the onboard infrastructure, a sampling laboratory was developed within a 20’ High Cube marine shipping container. The laboratory was executed by KleanLabs Manufacturing within the group.
Marine operating conditions – including high humidity, saline atmosphere, temperature fluctuations, and continuous dynamic loads – required a thermal insulation solution capable of ensuring reliable long-term performance.
Laboratory Container Insulation by Purman®
The container was insulated using recycled PIR insulation boards manufactured according to the Purman® technology, providing laboratory container insulation designed for long-term marine operation. The Purman® system is based on reclaiming and reprocessing PIR foam generated as production waste during door and sandwich panel manufacturing. Instead of being treated as waste, the material is transformed through a dedicated re-forming process into structurally stable, high-performance insulation boards.
Performance Properties in Marine Operating Conditions
The resulting Purman® PIR insulation materials provide excellent thermal insulation performance while maintaining high mechanical stability under intensive use. For dynamically loaded applications such as marine environments, dimensional stability and structural integrity are essential. Due to their material structure, these foams also exhibit favorable acoustic insulation and vibration-damping properties, contributing to improved performance in environments exposed to continuous mechanical vibration. The semi-closed cell structure ensures balanced moisture behavior, allowing controlled vapor diffusion within the construction. Their mechanical and fire-performance characteristics make them suitable for technically demanding and specialized applications.
High-tech Laboratory Container with Purman® Technology
In this case, the project represents more than the development of an onboard laboratory. It demonstrates the practical implementation of circular economy principles in a high-performance engineering environment. Through the Purman® technology, PIR production waste gains a second life, reducing the demand for virgin raw materials and lowering the associated carbon footprint.
The laboratory installed on board Azores Ocean therefore supports future marine scientific research while simultaneously serving as a reference project for high-value industrial foam recycling in technically demanding offshore applications.
