INSULATION MATERIALS
UMANAN, Ronna Jose Alysa D.
BS Mechanical Engineering
FIBERGLASS
-consists of extremely fine glass fibers
-one of the most ubiquitous insulation materials
-commonly used in two different types of
insulation: blanket (batts and rolls) and loose-fill
-is also available as rigid boards and duct
insulation.
Mineral Wool Insulation Materials
The term "mineral wool" typically refers to two types of insulation
material:
• Rock wool, a man-made material consisting of natural minerals like
basalt or diabase.
• Slag wool, a man-made material from blast furnace slag (the waste
matter that forms on the surface of molten metal).
Cellulose Insulation Material
-made from recycled paper products, primarily newsprint
-has a very high recycled material content, generally 82% to
85%
The paper is first reduced to small pieces and then fiberized,
creating a product that packs tightly into building cavities and
inhibits airflow.
Natural Fiber Insulation Materials
Some natural fibers--including cotton,
sheep's wool, straw, and hemp--are used
as insulation materials.
Cotton
Cotton insulation consists of 85% recycled cotton and
15% plastic fibers that have been treated with borate--
the same flame retardant and insect/rodent repellent
used in cellulose insulation. One product uses recycled
blue jean manufacturing trim waste. As a result of its
recycled content, this product uses minimal energy to
manufacture.
Sheep's Wool
For use as insulation, sheep's wool is also treated with
borate to resist pests, fire, and mold. It can hold large
quantities of water, which is an advantage for use in
some walls, but repeated wetting and drying can leach
out the borate. Sheep's wool batts for a 2 by 4 inch and
2 by 6 inch stud-framed wall offer an R-13 and R-19
value, respectively.
Straw
Straw bale construction, popular 150 years ago on the Great Plains of
the United States, has received renewed interest.
• The process of fusing straw into boards without adhesives was
developed in the 1930s. Panels are usually 2 to 4 inches (5 to 102
mm) thick and faced with heavyweight kraft paper on each side. The
boards also make effective sound-absorbing panels for interior
partitions. Some manufacturers have developed structural insulated
panels from multiple-layered, compressed-straw panels.
Hemp
Hemp insulation is relatively unknown and not
commonly used in the United States. Its R-value is
similar to other fibrous insulation types.
Polystyrene Insulation Materials
Polystyrene--a colorless, transparent thermoplastic--is
commonly used to make foam board or beadboard
insulation, concrete block insulation, and a type of
loose-fill insulation consisting of small beads of
polystyrene.
Polyisocyanurate Insulation Materials
Polyisocyanurate or polyiso is a thermosetting type of plastic,
closed-cell foam that contains a low-conductivity,
hydrochlorofluorocarbon-free gas in its cells.
• Polyisocyanurate insulation is available as a liquid, sprayed foam,
and rigid foam board. It can also be made into laminated
insulation panels with a variety of facings. Foamed-in-place
applications of polyisocyanurate insulation are usually cheaper
than installing foam boards, and perform better because the
liquid foam molds itself to all of the surfaces.
Polyurethane Insulation Materials
• Polyurethane is a foam insulation material that contains a
low-conductivity gas in its cells. Polyurethane foam
insulation is available in closed-cell and open-cell formulas.
With closed-cell foam, the high-density cells are closed and
filled with a gas that helps the foam expand to fill the spaces
around it. Open-cell foam cells are not as dense and are
filled with air, which gives the insulation a spongy texture
and a lower R-value.
Vermiculite and Perlite Insulation Materials
• Vermiculite and perlite insulation materials are
commonly found as attic insulation in homes built
before 1950. Vermiculite insulation materials aren't
widely used today because they sometimes contain
asbestos.
Urea-Formaldehyde Foam Insulation Materials
• Urea-formaldehyde (UF) foam was used in homes during the
1970s and early 1980s. However, after many health-related
court cases due to improper installations, UF foam is no
longer available for residential use and has been discredited
for its formaldehyde emissions and shrinkage. It is now used
primarily for masonry walls in commercial and industrial
buildings.
Cementitious Foam Insulation Material
• Cementitious insulation material is a cement-based foam used as
sprayed-foam or foamed-in-placed insulation. One type of
cementitious spray foam insulation known as air krete® contains
magnesium silicate and has an initial consistency similar to shaving
cream. Air krete® is pumped into closed cavities. Cementitious foam
costs about as much as polyurethane foam, is nontoxic and
nonflammable, and is made from minerals (like magnesium oxide)
extracted from seawater.
Phenolic Foam Insulation Material
Phenolic (phenol-formaldehyde) foam was somewhat popular
years ago as rigid foam board insulation. It is currently
available only as a foamed-in-place insulation.
• Phenolic foamed-in-place insulation uses air as the foaming
agent. One major disadvantage of phenolic foam is that it
can shrink up to 2% after curing, which makes it less popular
today.
Insulation Facings
• Facings are fastened to insulation materials during the manufacturing
process. A facing protects the insulation's surface, holds the insulation
together, and facilitates fastening to building components. Some types of
facing can also act as an air barrier, radiant barrier, and/or vapor
barrier and some even provide flame resistance.
• Common facing materials include kraft paper, white vinyl sheeting, and
aluminum foil. All of these materials act as an air barrier and vapor barrier.
Aluminum foil can also act as a radiant barrier. Your climate and where and
how you're installing the insulation in your home will determine what type
of facing and/or barrier, if any, you'll need.
• Some of the same materials used as insulation facings can be installed
separately to provide an air barrier, vapor barrier, and/or radiant barrier.
