REPORT

THERMAL INSULATION
MATERIAL
VISHAL.A.GUPTA
010201911
INT.MATERIALS & PRODUCTS
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

Thermal insulation
Thermal insulation is the reduction of heat transfer between
objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence.
Thermal insulation can be achieved with specially engineered
methods or processes, as well as with suitable object shapes and
materials.
A thermal insulator stops heat from transferring through
conduction. The thermos container you use to keep your drinks
warm works by using the same principle. Different materials react
to heat in different ways. For example, metal conducts heat very
efficiently.
➢ Thermal insulaton materials are as follows :
• Polyurethane.
• Cork.
• Carbon foam.
• Fibreglass.
• Silicon Dioxide.
• Epoxy/Resin.
• Cellulose Fibre.
• Vacuum Insulated Panels.
• Poly Vinyl Chloride

2
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

1. POLYURETHANE:

One of the best commercially available choices of insulation

material. It has good thermal insulating properties, low
moisture-vapour permeability, high resistance to water
absorption, relatively high mechanical strength and low density.
In addition, it is relatively easy and economical to install.
Polyurethane foam is effective as an insulator because it has a
high proportion (90 percent minimum) of non-connected closed
microcells, filled with inert gas, the inert gas most commonly
used in polyurethane foams was R-11

3
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Raw materials :

A variety of raw materials are used to produce

polyurethanes. These include monomers, prepolymers,
stabilizers which protect the integrity of the polymer, and
colorants.

1. Isocyanates: One of the key reactive materials required to

produce polyurethanes are diisocyanates. These include
materials like 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate and bitolylene
diisocyanate. These more expensive materials can provide
higher melting, harder segments in polyurethane

2. Polyols: The other reacting species required to produce

polyurethanes are compounds that contain multiple alcohol
groups (OH), called polyols. Various polyether polyols
that are used include polyethylene glycol, polypropylene
glycol, and polytetramethylene glycol. These materials are
generally utilized when the desired polyurethane is going to
be used to make flexible foams or thermoset elastomers.

3. Additives: Some polyurethane materials can be vulnerable

to damage from heat, light, atmospheric contaminants, and
chlorine. For this reason, stabilizers are added to protect the
polymer. To protect against oxidation reactions,
antioxidants are used.

4
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ The Manufacturing Process :

Polyurethane foams are produced by reacting polyols

and diisocyanates, both products derived from crude oil.
Blowing agents are used to produce the foam's cellular
structure.
The blowing products are Water (H2O) & Carbon di Oxide
(CO2)
While polyurethane polymers are used for a vast array
of applications, their production method can be broken into
three distinct phases. First, the bulk polymer product is
made. Next, the polymer is exposed to various processing
steps. Finally, the polymer is transformed into its final
product and shipped. This production process can be
illustrated by looking at the continuous production of
polyurethane foams.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

5
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

• The Process:

1. At the start of polyurethane foam production, the reacting

raw materials are held as liquids in large, stainless steel
tanks. These tanks are equipped with agitators to keep the
materials fluid. A metering device is attached to the tanks
so that the appropriate amount of reactive material can be
pumped out.

2. A typical ratio of polyol to diisocyanate is 1:2. Since the

ratio of the component materials produces polymers with
varying characteristics, it is strictly controlled. The reacting
materials are passed through a heat exchanger as they are
pumped into pipes. The exchanger adjusts the temperature
to the reactive level.

3. By the time the polymerizing liquid gets to the end of the

pipe, the polyurethane is already formed. On one end of the
pipe is a dispensing head for the polymer.

➢ Application :

1. The main ways polyurethane foams can be applied and

used are as rigid boards/ slabs and pre-formed pipes, which
can be manufactured in various shapes and sizes.

2. The main applications of these types of foam are in chill

rooms, ice stores and cold stores. Structural sandwich
panels incorporating slabs of foam can be produced for
prefabricated refrigerated stores.

6
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

3.It can be sprayed directly onto a solid surface using guns

that mix and atomize the foam as it is being applied. The
foam will adhere to itself and most metals, wood and other
materials. It can also be injected into a cavity.

Polyurethane filing at flooring via spray

Polyurethane at walls
7
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Properties:
• Low moisture-vapour permeability.
• High resistance to water absorption
• Relatively high mechanical strength and low density.
• It is relatively easy and economical to install.

➢ Types of Polyurethane:

• Flexible Polyurethane Foam: Flexible polyurethane foam

is used as cushioning for a variety of consumer and
commercial products, including bedding, furniture,
automotive interiors, carpet underlay. Flexible foam can be
created in almost any variety of shapes and firmness. It is
light, durable, supportive and comfortable.

• Rigid Polyurethane Foam: Rigid polyurethane foams

create one of the world's most popular, energy-efficient and
versatile insulations.

• Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU): It is highly elastic,

flexible and resistant to abrasion, impact and weather. TPUs
can be colored or fabricated in a wide variety of methods
and their use can increase a product's overall durability.

• Binders: Polyurethane binders are used to adhere numerous

types of particles and fibers to each other. Their primary
areas of use are in the manufacturing of wood panels,
rubber or elastomeric flooring surfaces and sand casting for
the foundry industry.
8
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

2.CORK:

Cork is an ecological insulation material with excellent

insulating and damp-proof qualities. The material is extremely
versatile, so one can use it for many insulation purposes. In this
article, you can read more on the properties and applications of
cork insulation.

It is the air which fills the cells in the cork that makes it an
excellent thermal insulator. The same protective principle can
also be found in other natural products, such as wool and
feathers, and in industry, such as double glazed windows.

9
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Manufacturing process:

• After harvesting, the cork bark first needs to ‘rest’ one year
before it can be boiled.
• When the bark has been boiled, it must dry sufficiently.
Afterwards, one can grind the bark into cork granules.
These granules are, under high pressure and by means of
steam, expanded to cork boards in an autoclave.
• This all happens in a way that is environmentally sound. No
chemicals or artificial additives are used in the production
process of cork.
• Producing cork granulate is a sustainable solution that
recycles a waste product, substantially keeps the
characteristics of the original material, and turns this waste
product into a resource for manufacturing new products,
such as insulating boards made up of cork agglomerate.

➢ Byproducts:

• Cork powder that is generated by the grinding process is

collected and burned to help fuel the factory.
• Chemical components removed from cork during its
processing can be recovered as useful byproducts and
include tannin (used for curing leather),
• Hard wax (used in products like paraffin, paint, and soap),
resinous gum (helps vanish adhere to copper and
aluminum),
• Phonic acid (used to make plastics and musk-scented
toiletries).

10
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Applications:

- Cork for roof insulation:

• It is very simple to hammer the cork boards onto the slats of

your roof construction. These panels are lightweight and
easy to saw.
• The cork insulation boards are available in different
thicknesses. The thicker the sheet, the better it insulates. To
insulate a roof with cork, it is recommended to use boards
with a thickness of approximately 6 inches.

- Cork for insulating floors:

• Cork insulation boards can easily be glued onto a concrete
subfloor. Especially if the floor of your house exists of a
carpeted floor, cork boards are the best floor insulation
materials. Moreover, these boards are hard-wearing and feel
warm.

11
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

3.CARBON FOAM:

• Carbon foam is a stiff, porous structure formed from a web

of carbon atoms.The breakthrough material is strong but
lightweight, non-flammable and able to maintain its
performance at high temperatures, and capable of absorbing
sound and radiation.

➢ Manufacturing Process:

• Carbon foams are typically produced by decomposing the

starting material in a closed vessel at high temperature
under high pressure. This step causes production costs to
skyrocket, since it requires expensive high-temperature and
high-pressure facilities

12
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

1. of carbon foam are classified into 4 stages i.e: Blowing

and carbonization.
2. Template carbonization.
3. Compression of exfoliated graphite.
4. Assembly of graphene nanosheets and others.

Through these processes, density of the foam, sizes of cells and

windows, as well as physical properties, are successfully
controlled.

➢ Properties:

• High temperature resistance.

• Hardness.
• Low density
• Low electrical resistance.
• Low Friction.
• Low thermal resistance.
• Extreme resistance to chemical attack.
• Impermeability to Gases & Liquid.
• Can be purchased in any size sheet or thickness desired
• A perfect base material to be tooled into any shape
• There is no electrical conductivity or heat transference
• It is completely fire resistance and will not burn

13
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ It’s thickness varies from 30mm to 150mm.

➢ Applications:
• Used in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning industry, as a
substitute for cork.
• Used in Flooring.
• Used as a Corning.
• Foam glass is well suited as a rigid insulation material in
walls, roofs and traffic areas (floors or flat roofs) where
other materials are compressed which usually results in an
uneven surface thereby causing the loss of insulating
properties.
• It also acts like a barrier for changes in temperature or for
preventing liquids or gases to pass through.

14
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

4.FIBREGLASS:

Fibres of glass arranged using a binder into a texture similar

to wool. The process traps many small pockets of air between
the glass, and these small air pockets result in high thermal
insulation properties. Glass wool is produced in rolls or in slabs,
with different thermal and mechanical properties. It may also be
produced as a material that can be sprayed or applied in place,
on the surface to be insulated.
Gases possess poor thermal conduction properties compared
to liquids and solids,and thus make good insulation material if
they can be trapped in materials so that much of the heat that
flows through the material is forced to flow through the gas.
In order to accomplish the formation of small gas cells in
man-made thermal insulation, glass and polymer materials can
be used to trap air in a foam-like structure. The same principle
used in glass wool is used in other man-made insulators such
as rock wool, Styrofoam, wet suit neoprene foam fabrics, and
fabrics such as Gore-Tex and polar fleece.

15
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Manufacturing Process:
• Natural sand and recycled glass are mixed and heated to
1,450 °C, to produce glass. The fiberglass is usually
produced by a method similar to making cotton candy, by
forcing it through a fine mesh by centripetal force, cooling
on contact with the air.
• Cohesion and mechanical strength are obtained by the
presence of a binder that “cements” the fibers together. A
drop of binder is placed at each fiber intersection. The fiber
mat is then heated to around 200 °C
to polymerize the resin and is calendered to give it strength
and stability. Finally, the wool mat is cut and packed in
rolls or panels, palletized, and stored for use.

➢ Applications :

• Fibreglass are available in batts and blankets, Batts are

precut, whereas blankets are available in continuous rolls.
• One can install batts in two layers across an unfinished
attic floor, perpendicular to each other, for increased
effectiveness at preventing heat bridging.
• Fibre glassis a thermal insulation material consisting of
intertwined and flexible glass fibers, which causes it to
"package" air, resulting in a low density.
• Fibreglass can be a loose-fill material, blown into attics, or
together with an active binder, sprayed on the underside of
structures, sheets, and panels that can be used to insulate
flat surfaces such as cavity wall insulation, ceiling
tiles, curtain walls, and ducting. It is also used to
insulate piping and for soundproofing.

16
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Properties :

• Acoustical absorption.
• High thermal resistance with low thermal conductivity.
• Small bulk density.
• Low thermal conductivity.
• High sound absorption and flame-retardant.

BLANKETS

BATTS
17
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

5.SILICON DIOXIDE:

Silicon Dioxide is a natural compound

of silicon and oxygen found mostly in sand, Silica has three
main crystalline varieties: quartz, tridymite, and cristobalite.
Fine particulate silica dust from quartz rock causes over a long-
term progressive lung injury, silicosis. (NCI04).
Silica is another name for the chemical compound
composed of silicon and oxygen with the chemical formula
SiO2, or silicon dioxide. There are many forms of silica. All
silica forms are identical in chemical composition, but have
different atom arrangements. Silica compounds can be divided
into two groups, crystalline (or c-silica) and amorphous silica (a-
silica or non-crystalline silica).
Silicon dioxide is a silicon oxide made up of linear
triatomic molecules in which a silicon atom is covalently
bonded to two oxygens.

18
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Manufacturing process:

• The wet process is based mainly on the

precipitation of amorphous silicon dioxide
particles from aqueous alkali metal silicate
solution by acid neutralization.
• Usually,sulfuric acid is used, although carbon dioxide and
hydrochloric acid can be used.
• Depending on the final pH of the solution,
the following two different classes of
synthetic amorphous silicas can be obtained.
• Precipitated silicas - obtained in neutral or
alkaline conditions; silica gels - obtained
under acidic conditions.
• The main manufacturing steps include
precipitation,filtration, washing, drying and grinding.

➢ Applications:

• Silicon dioxide has many uses in chemical, electronic and

pharmaceutical industries.
• In chemical industry, in the production of adhesives and
sealants,adsorbents and absorbents, ceramic,porcelain,
anti-adhesives, corrosion inhibitors, dyes and paint
additives.
• It is also used to produce agricultural
chemicals.

19
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

• In pharmaceutical industries as additive of food and

medicines to absorb water.
• SiO2 is the main component in the optical fibers for
telecommunication. Silicon dioxide is extensively used as
precursor to obtain glass and silicon, through the reaction:
SIO2 + 2 C + Si + 2 CO.

➢ Properties:
• Silicon dioxide is a transparent to gray,
odorless, crystalline or amorphous solid.
• Its melting and boiling point are 1600 ºC and 2230 ºC,
respectively. Its density is 2.65 g mL-1. It is insoluble in
water and acid.

20
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

6.EPOXY RESIN:

As an important thermosetting polymer, epoxy has been

widely used as adhesives, coatings and engineering materials
due to its excellent chemical resistance, high strength and low
cost. A great deal of efforts has been taken to expand its
applications by using inorganic fillers; among them, nano-clay,
glass fiber and dioxides have been generally used to strengthen
its thermo stability, tenacity and mechanical strength.

Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of

reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide
groups. Epoxy resins may be reacted (cross-linked) either with
themselves through catalytic homopolymerisation, or with a
wide range of co-reactants including polyfunctional amines,
acids (and acid anhydrides), phenols, alcohols
and thiols (usually called mercaptans). These co-reactants are
often referred to as hardeners or curatives, and the cross-linking
reaction is commonly referred to as curing.

21
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Manufacturing Process:

• Epoxy resins are created by mixing BPA and

epichlorohydrin (ECH), which are then reacted so as to
create the basic monomer unit of epoxy resin called
BADGE or DGEBA.
• The properties of the cured epoxy resins are determined
by a chemical process called curing or hardening.
• Epoxy resin are available in two form solid and liquid. The
two processes are similar. Firstly ECH and BPA are
charged into a reactor.
• A solution of 20-40% propylene and chlorine is added to
the reaction vessel as the solution is brought to the boiling
point.
• After the evaporation of unreacted ECH, the two phases
are separated by adding an inert solvent such as
methylisobutylketone (MIBK). The resin is then washed
with water and the solvent is removed by vacuum
distillation.

22
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

• In order to convert epoxy resins into a hard, infusible, and

rigid material, it is necessary to cure the resin with
hardener. Epoxy resins can cure at practically any
temperature from 5-150oC depending on the choice of
curing agent. Primary and secondary amines are widely
used to cure epoxy resins.

➢ Applications:

• Paints and coatings.

• Adhesives.
• Industrial tooling and composites.
• Wind turbine technology composites.
• Electrical systems and electronics.
• Petroleum & petrochemical.
• Consumer and marine applications.
• Aerospace applications.

➢ Properties :

• Low shrinkage during cure.

• Excellent moisture resistance.
• Excellent chemical resistance.
• Good electrical properties.
• Increased mechanical and fatigue strength.
• Impact resistant.
• Long shelf life.

23
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

7. CELLULOSE FIBRE:

Cellulose fibre insulation is an eco friendly thermal

insulation material made from recycled paper fibres. It offers
good thermal properties and has a low embodied energy.

Cellulose has an R-value between R-3.1 and R-3.7. Some recent

studies on cellulose have shown that it might be an excellent
product for use in minimizing fire damage. Because of the
compactness of the material, cellulose contains next to no
oxygen within it.

24
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Manufacturing Process:

• A process for making a cellulose fibre or film comprising

the steps of dissolving pulp in an ionic liquid containing a
cationic 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-enium [TBDHJ+
moiety and an anion selected from the group according to
Formula a), Formula b) and Formula c), wherein each of R,
R2,R3,R4,R5, R7,R8, R9 and R10 is H or an organyl
radical and X- is selected from the group consisting of
halides, pseudohalides, carboxylates, alkyl sulphite, alkyl
sulphate, dialkylphosphite, dialkyl phosphate, dialkyl
phosphonites and dialkyl phosphonates, to provide a
spinning dope, extruding the spinning dope through a
spinneret to form one or more filaments, and a step
selected from the group consisting of spinning cellulose
fibres from the solution, and extruding a cellulose film
from the solution.
25
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

A manufacturing process of cellulose solution with low viscosity

includes the step of dissolving a cellulose in a mixture solvent
which is produced by mixing an additional solvent mixture, N-
methylol caprolactom, with a main solvent, N-methyl morpholine
oxide. The present invention not only can increase the swelling of
the pulp during the dissolving process, but also can lower the
viscosity of the cellulose solution that enables the manufacturing
process to process at lower temperature and the cellulose solution
produced to spin in higher spinning speed. Therefore, the physical
property and the quality of the final fiber product are improved
by eliminating the problem of cellulose polymerization decay.

26
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Applications:

• It is used as loose fill in the insulation of ceilings and walls

of residential and commercial buildings, both for new
construction and retrofit purposes.
• Cellulosebased insulation materials such as aerogels have a
low thermal conductivity that makes them suitable for
thermal insulation applications.

27
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Properties:

• It is used as loose fill in the insulation of ceilings and walls

of residential and commercial buildings, both for new
construction and retrofit purposes.
• Cellulosebased insulation materials such as aerogels have a
low thermal conductivity that makes them suitable for
thermal insulation applications.

28
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

8.VACCUM INSULATED PANELS:

Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) are new thermal

insulation materials that have been used in the domestic and
overseas market in the last 20 years. Due to the vacuum thermal
insulation technology of these new materials, their thermal
conductivity can be as low as 0.004 W/(m·K) at the center
of panels.

In conventional thermal insulation materials, the contributions of

the three heat transfer mechanisms to the thermal conductivity
vary.

29
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Manufacturing Process:

• Vacuum insulated panels are comprised of a glass fibre core

hermetically enclosed in a special thin multilayer foil.
• During the manufacturing process all of the air is pumped
out of the panel.
• According to this manufacturing procedure gases and
moisture are not able to penetrate and enter the panel.
• At the same time this design enables the panel to attain
a minimal thermal conductivity value below 0,004 W/mK.

30
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Applications:

• It is used in builing construction, refrigeration units,

and insulated shipping contaiers to provide better
insulation than conventional insulation material.

➢ Properties:

• Non-metal based spacer.

• Keeps inert gase inside & moisture outside.
• Extenda proucducts life.
• Reduced energy use.
• Light weight.
• Minimise the metal content.
• Minimizse risk of manipulation.

31
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

9.Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC):

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or Vinyl) is a high strength

thermoplastic material widely used in applications, such as pipes,
medical devices, wire and cable insulation...the list is endless. It
is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic plastic
polymer.

➢ Manufacturing Process:
During production, a mixture of PVC, a foaming
agent and the like is foamed at high temperature, the
melt is then extruded by an extruder and conveyed
into a mold for shaping and cooling, and the profiles
after shaped are cut to obtain the desired boards.

32
THERMAL INSULATION MATERIAL

➢ Applications :

• Domestic uses include Curtain Rails, Drawer Sides,

Laminates, Audio and Videotape Cases, Records Flooring,
Wall Coverings, Shower Curtains, Leather Cloth,
Hosepipes.

➢ Properties:

• Electrical Properties
• Durability
• Flame Retardancy
• Chemical Resistance

❇THANK YOU ❇

33