Comparison of commonly used insulation materials

Common insulation materials mainly include foamed cement, phenolic foam, aluminum silicate insulation materials, loose insulation materials (glass wool, rock wool insulation blanket), rubber and plastic insulation materials, etc.

■ 1 Foamed cement 

The foamed cement is fully foamed by mechanical means through the foaming system of the foaming machine, and the foam is evenly mixed with the cement slurry, and then poured in situ or molded through the pumping system of the foaming machine,

A new type of lightweight insulation and fireproof material with a large number of closed pores formed through natural maintenance.

Advantages of foamed cement:

one Pressure resistance, high temperature resistance and aging resistance;

2. Good sound insulation effect: The sound insulation strength of foam cement is 5-8 times that of ordinary cement;

3. More environmentally friendly: All additives in foamed cement are plant protein fibers and animal protein, non-toxic and harmless;

4. Moisture resistance and impermeability: Foamed cement has porosity and integrity, and its moisture resistance and impermeability are better than ordinary cement;

5. Fireproof: Foamed cement is an inorganic material that does not burn and has good fireproof performance. 

Disadvantages of foamed cement:

one Low material strength (brittle);

2. High water absorption, which cannot be compared with foam glass, foam ceramics, phenolic foam board, polystyrene particles, polystyrene board, extruded board and other wall insulation materials. 

 ■ 2 Phenolic foam material 

 Phenolic foam material is a polymer organic hard foam product, which is foamed from thermosetting phenolic resin. It is lightweight, fireproof, non combustible in case of open fire, smoke-free, non-toxic, non dripping, with a wide range of operating temperatures (-196~+200 ℃), and does not shrink and embrittlement in low temperature environments. 

 Advantages of phenolic foam insulation board:

one Excellent fire resistance, phenolic insulation board does not ignite when exposed to fire, and its combustion performance can reach up to Class A;

2. Excellent insulation performance: low thermal conductivity（<0.025W/m · K), excellent insulation and thermal insulation performance;

3. Corrosion resistance;

4. Low density and light weight;

5. Good sound absorption performance;

6. Safe use: Phenolic insulation board adopts fluorine free foaming technology, fiber free, and meets national and international environmental protection requirements. 

Disadvantages of phenolic foam insulation board:

one The fire resistance rating is B, with a maximum of A2, but it increases production costs;

2. The operating temperature is -60 ℃~150 ℃ and cannot be used at high temperatures. Exceeding 200 ℃ will release highly toxic smoke;

3. The physical properties are not ideal, the overall adhesion is poor, and the compressive and flexural strength is extremely low. In order to increase its compressive and tensile strength, a layer of inorganic board or mesh cloth (sandwich board) is usually pasted on both sides;

4. The price is relatively high;

5. Organic compounds are not resistant to aging, and long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause phenolic insulation boards to lose their function and shorten their service life;

6. Polluting the environment, phenol and formaldehyde are used in the production process, and the production of phenol and formaldehyde is a highly polluting project;

7. Different companies have different methods for improving their products, resulting in significant differences in product quality. 

 ■ 3 Aluminum silicate insulation material 

 Aluminum silicateMade by melting selected gemstones in an electric furnace above 2000 ℃, mechanically blowing them into fibers, and uniformly adding special binders, oil repellents, and water repellents through heating and solidification. Mainly used in the power industry, power boilers, steam turbines and nuclear power insulation, fire insulation in the shipbuilding industry, fire insulation in the construction industry, fire insulation in fire doors, wall lining of high-temperature reaction equipment and heating equipment in the chemical industry, automobile and train manufacturing, fire prevention, insulation, kiln lining, furnace doors and other fields. Aluminum silicate insulation material is a new type of environmentally friendly insulation material. Single component material, non-toxic and harmless, in line with national building standards, with excellent sound absorption, high temperature resistance, water resistance, frost resistance, low shrinkage rate, seamless overall, no cold bridge or hot bridge formation, light bulk density, and thermal insulation performance. It is an A-level non combustible fireproof insulation material, mostly used for industrial insulation and less used for building insulation.

Advantages of aluminum silicate insulation material:

1. High temperature resistance, with a maximum operating temperature of up to 1500 ℃;

2. Low thermal conductivity and good insulation performance. Under the same conditions, aluminum silicate products have lower thermal conductivity than other insulation materials;

3. Lightweight, with characteristics of softness, lightness, and elasticity, dry process products are 80-100 kg/m ³, wet process products are 100-130 kg/m ³;

4. Has good chemical stability and is not affected by lubrication of molten metal;

5. Good sound absorption and insulation performance, with excellent noise reduction and insulation effect;

6. Good electrical insulation and high dielectric constant; Can be used as high-frequency insulation material.

 Disadvantages of aluminum silicate insulation material:

1. Aluminum silicate has relatively poor compressive and flexural strength;

2. Easy to generate dust;

3. The waterproof performance is not particularly good, and if the aluminum silicate insulation cotton comes into contact with water, it will greatly reduce the insulation effect; 

■ 4 Loose insulation materials (glass wool, rock wool) 

 Glass woolGlass wool is a product made by processing melted glass fibers with environmentally friendly formula adhesives mainly composed of thermosetting resins using unique centrifugal technology. 

 As a type of insulation cotton, glass wool has the advantages of low thermal conductivity, flexible and slender fibers, and porous sound-absorbing structure. It not only has good insulation performance, but also has good sound-absorbing effect. Therefore, glass wool can be made into wall panels, ceilings, spatial sound-absorbing bodies, etc. Although dust may be generated during construction, with the improvement of the process, the existing high-quality white formaldehyde free glass wool produces almost no dust. 

Rock wool:Rock wool insulation material is mainly made of basalt and other natural ores, which are melted into fibers at high temperatures and processed with appropriate binders.

 Rock wool, as a type of insulation cotton, has the advantage of being composed of high-density materials. It is also a fiber material, but its sound absorption effect is not as good as glass wool. However, its sound insulation effect is better than glass wool. Therefore, it is generally used as a sound insulation material for building walls and roofs, as well as for ship insulation and fire partition keel interlayer insulation. The sound absorption and insulation effects of rock wool are slightly inferior to glass wool. 

■ 5 Rubber insulation material 

 Rubber insulation material is a closed cell elastic material with excellent properties such as softness, bending resistance, cold resistance, heat resistance, flame retardancy, waterproofing, low thermal conductivity, shock absorption, and sound absorption. It can be widely used in central air conditioning, construction, chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, metallurgy, shipbuilding, vehicles, electrical appliances and other fields.

▲  Rubber sheets and pipes

Advantages of rubber insulation materials:

1.Green and environmentally friendly:Rubber does not contain harmful chlorine fluorides in the atmosphere, meets the requirements of ISO14000 international environmental certification, and does not produce pollutants harmful to human health during installation and application.

2.Low thermal conductivity:Rubber and plastic have low thermal conductivity and long-lasting stability, with excellent cold and thermal insulation properties. The outer surface of the material can also prevent condensation and isolate the medium from heat exchange with the outside world, making it a high-quality insulation and energy-saving material. The thermal conductivity of Bellsup rubber products can be as low as 0.033w/(k · m) at 0 ℃.

3.Good fire resistance:Rubber and plastic materials comply with the national standard "Analysis Method for Combustion Performance of Building Materials" for fire-resistant B1 level fire protection requirements. In addition, there are "ultra-high oxygen index" rubber insulation materials (such as Bellsup0 grade rubber products) suitable for high-rise buildings and high-density population areas.

4.Closed bubble structure:Adopting Accurate Control Microcellular Foam (ACMF) technology, the cell closure rate is greatly improved, and the thermal conductivity of the product is lower; The pores are also more uniform and fine, with strong resistance to water vapor penetration and extended service life.

5.Moisture resistance:Rubber and plastic have a closed foam structure, making it difficult for water from the outside air to penetrate into the material. It has excellent resistance to water vapor penetration, and there is no need to add a vapor barrier layer on the surface of the cold insulation layer. The moisture resistance factor μ value of rubber is greater than 3500 (ISO9346) to form a built-in waterproof layer, which does not affect the overall moisture resistance even if the product is scratched. Therefore, rubber is both an insulation layer and a moisture-proof layer. The moisture resistance factor of Bellsup rubber insulation products can reach up to 15000.

6.Thin materials and space saving:Under the same insulation effect, the thickness of rubber used is reduced by about two-thirds compared to other insulation materials. Therefore, it can save space above the floor ceiling and increase indoor height.

7.Long service life:Rubber and plastic products have excellent weather resistance, anti-aging, cold resistance, anti inflammation, heat resistance, drying resistance, moisture resistance, UV resistance, ozone resistance, deformation free, maintenance free and other characteristics.

8.High end appearance, uniform and beautiful:Rubber and plastic have high elasticity, smooth surface, and soft texture. Even when installed on irregular components such as bends, tees, valves, etc., they can remain intact and beautiful. The appearance does not require decoration and can appear high-end and beautiful even without a ceiling.

9.Easy and fast installation:Due to the soft material and the lack of other auxiliary layers, construction and installation are simple. For pipeline installation, it can be installed together with the progress of pipeline installation, or the rubber pipe can be cut open and then bonded with special glue.