What types of thermal insulation materials are there? What are their characteristics?

What types of insulation materials are there? There are two major categories, inorganic materials and organic materials. Inorganic materials include mineral wool, rock wool, glass wool, aluminum silicate wool and asbestos. Organic materials are divided into extruded polystyrene foam, polyurethane rigid foam and molded polystyrene foam. What are the characteristics of each of them?

I. Inorganic materials

1. Mineral wool and rock wool

Mineral wool is a cotton-like insulation material made of industrial waste slag as the main raw material, which is melted and made by spraying or centrifugal method; rock wool is made of natural rock as raw material. Common rocks such as basalt diabase and amphibolite are used for mineral wool.

The characteristics of the two are similar. They are both light, heat-insulating, heat-insulating, sound-absorbing, and chemically stable. They are also rich in raw materials and have relatively low costs. Generally, we use them for heat insulation and sound insulation in rooms.

2. Glass wool and its products

Glass wool is made by melting glass and glass fragments. It has the characteristics of maintaining good thermal insulation performance at high or low temperatures; it has good recovery, good sound absorption and good chemical stability, and is not prone to brittleness and aging. It has many styles and can be customized according to needs.

3. Aluminum silicate wool and its products

Aluminum silicate wool, also known as refractory fiber, is made of high-quality coke, high-purity alumina, silicon dioxide, zircon sand, etc. It is processed by melting and blowing or spinning in a resistance furnace to polymerize and fiberize dispersed materials with the same chemical composition and structure and different dispersion materials. It is an inorganic material with light weight, heat preservation, heat insulation, sound absorption and chemical stability.

4. Asbestos and its products

Asbestos is a silicate mineral product with high tensile strength, high flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal erosion, electrical insulation and spinnability. It is a general term for natural fibrous silicate minerals. It is characterized by high fire resistance, electrical insulation and thermal insulation. It is an important fireproof, insulating and thermal insulation material.

II. Organic materials

1. Molded polystyrene foam

Molded polystyrene foam is a polystyrene foam board made of expandable polystyrene beads, which is heated and pre-foamed and then heated and molded in a mold. It has a closed-cell structure and a use temperature of no more than 75°C. Features: Excellent and long-lasting thermal insulation, unique cushioning and shock resistance, anti-aging and waterproof properties.

2. Extruded polystyrene foam

Extruded polystyrene foam is extruded polystyrene foam for insulation, commonly known as extruded board. It is a hard foam board made of polystyrene resin as raw material, other raw and auxiliary materials and polymer content, heated and mixed, and injected with catalyst, and then extruded and pressed out.

3. Polyurethane hard foam

Polyurethane hard foam is made of isocyanate and hydroxyl compounds through polymerization and foaming. It can be divided into soft and hard types according to its hardness. Polyurethane hard foam is generally foamed at room temperature, and the molding process is relatively simple. According to the degree of mechanization of construction, it can be divided into manual foaming and mechanical foaming; according to the pressure during foaming, it can be divided into high-pressure foaming and low-pressure foaming; according to the molding method, it can be divided into pouring foaming and spraying foaming. Features: Polyurethane rigid foam is mostly a closed-cell structure, with excellent properties such as good thermal insulation effect, light weight, high specific strength, and convenient construction. It also has the characteristics of sound insulation, shockproof electrical insulation, heat resistance, cold resistance, and solvent resistance.