Insulation Materials and Temperature Ranges

Temperature limits of some common insulation materials

Temperature limits of some common insulation materials are indicated in the table below:

Temperature Range
Insulation Material

Low

High

(oC)

(oF)

(oC)

(oF)

Calcium Silicate

-18

650

1200

Cellular Glass

-260

-450

480

900

Elastomeric foam

-55

-70

120

250

Fiberglass

-30

-20

540

1000

1200

2200

Mineral Wool, Ceramic fiber

Mineral Wool, Glass

32

250

480

Mineral Wool, Stone

32

760

1400

150

300

Phenolic foam
Polyisocyanurate or polyiso

-180

-290

150

300

Polystyrene

-50

-60

75

165

Polyurethane

-210

-350

120

250

Vermiculite

-272

-459

760

1400

Calcium Silicate Insulation

Non-asbestos Calcium Silicate insulation board and pipe insulation feature with light weight, low
thermal conductivity, high temperature and chemical resistance.

Calcium Silicate thermal conductivity

Cellular Glass Insulation

Cellular glass insulation is composed of crushed glass combined with a cellulating agent.
These components are mixed, placed in a mold, and then heated to a temperature of
approximately 950 oF. During the heating process, the crushed glass turns to a liquid.
Decomposition of the cellulating agent will cause the mixture to expand and fill the mold. The
mixture creates millions of connected, uniform, closed-cells and form at the end a rigid insulating
material.

Cellulose Insulation
Cellulose is made from shredded recycled paper, such as newsprint or cardboard. It's treated
with chemicals to make it fire- and insect-resistant, and is applied as loose-fill or wet-sprayed
through a machine.

Fiberglass Insulation
Fiberglass is the most common type of insulation. It's made from molten glass spun into
microfibers.

Mineral Wool Insulation

Mineral wool is made from molten glass, stone, ceramic fibre or slag that is spun into a fiber-like
structure. Inorganic rock or slag are the main components (typically 98%) of stone wool. The
remaining 2% organic content is generally a thermosetting resin binder (an adhesive) and a little
oil.

Polyurethane insulation
Polyurethane is an organic polymer formed by reacting a polyol (an alcohol with more than two
reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule) with a diisocyanate or a polymeric isocyanate in the
presence of suitable catalysts and additives.
Polyurethanes are flexible foams used in mattresses, chemical-resistant coatings, adhesives and
sealants, insulation for buildings and technical applications like heat exchangers, cooling pipes
and much more.

Polystyrene Insulation
Polystyrene is an excellent insulator. It is manufactured in two ways:

Extrusion - which results in fine, closed cells, containing a mixture of air and refrigerant
gas
Molded or expanded - which produces coarse, closed cells containing air

Extruded polystyrene, or XPS, is a closed-cell, thermal plastic material manufactured by a variety

of extrusion processes. The main applications of extruded polystyrene insulation are in building
insulation and construction in general.
Molded or expanded polystyrene is commonly called beadboard and has a lower R-value than
extruded polystyrene.

Polyisocyanurate Insulation
Polyisocyanurate or polyiso is a thermosetting type of plastic, closed-cell foam that contains a
low-conductivity gas (usually hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFC) in its cells.

Related Topics
Heat Loss and Insulation - Heat loss from pipes, tubes and tanks - with and without

insulation - foam, fiberglass, rockwool and more

Insulation - Heat transfer and heat loss from buildings and technical applications -

insulation methods and coefficients to reduce energy consumption

Heat Loss and Insulation - Steam and condensate pipes - heat loss uninsulated and

insulated pipes, insulation thickness and more

Related Documents
Calcium Silicate Insulation - Thermal conductivity - temperature and k-values
Insulation of Cooling Systems - Insulation thickness of cooling systems
Copper Pipes - Insulation and Heat Loss - Heat loss to surrounding air from insulated

copper tubes
Conductive Heat Transfer - Heat transfer takes place as conduction if there is a

temperature gradient in a solid or fluid

Pipes and Tubes - Recommended Insulation Thickness - Insulation thickness of

heating systems - hot water - low, medium and high pressure steam - systems
Perlite Insulation - Thermal conductivity - temperature and k-values
Clo - Clothing and Thermal Insulation - Clo is used to measure the thermal insulation

of clothes
Fiberglass Insulation - Thermal conductivity - temperature and k-values
Mineral Wool Insulation - Thermal conductivity - Temperature and k-values
Polyurethane Insulation - Thermal conductivity - temperature and k-values
Thermal Conductivity of some common Materials and Gases - Thermal conductivity

of some common materials and gases - insulation, aluminum, asphalt, brass, copper,
steel and many more ..
Duct Wrap Insulation - Thermal resistance to heat flow of unfaced and faced duct

wrap insulation

The Difference Between Hot And Cold

Insulation Materials
Its difficult to make the decision between purchasing hot or cold removable
insulation materials without truly knowing both sides of the story. Both forms of

insulation materials are going to save you money in the end, but it is vital to
determine which is the most practical and cost effective for your piping system.
There are questions that need to be asked when choosing insulation. At the top of
this decision tree is the most important: is the equipment or piping that we are
insulating hot or cold? Once this question is answered the next question is: interior or
exterior? The answer to these two questions will jump start the decision process
when choosing an insulation

Hot Insulation Materials

0

The Insulation is required for environment temp. exceeding 60 C. The type of Insulation comes
underHot Insulation. The materials required and generally applied for the Hot Insulation are as under:

1. Unbonded Glass wool with Handmade Mattresses Upto 400 C.

0

2. Unbonded Mineral wool with Handmade Mattresses Upto 500 C.

0

3. Lightly Resin Bonded (LRB) Rockwool Mattresses with Wirenetting Upto 550 C.
0

4. Calcium Silicate Powder / Slabs: Upto 800 C.

0

5. Ceramic Fiber Blankets: Upto 1000 C.

Removable insulation is specifically designed to insulate piping systems transporting

gas and substances at high temperatures. The materials used to construct the
insulation work to prevent your pipes from overheating, while keeping the warmth
inside the pipe. This helps to cut down on energy bills for your facility, saving you
money in the long run.
So, what materials are used during circumstances that require hot insulation? Well,
that depends on the intended purpose of the pipe being insulated. There is a laundry
list of materials to choose from all with different purposes. Below are 3 common
materials:
Cray Flex: This material has a high thermal, heat and chemical resistance, while still
produced from high quality raw materials.
Resin Bonded Rockwool: Used in both cold and hot insulation, resin bonded rockwool
has high thermal, chemical and heat resistance with an unmatched dimensional stability.
Spiral-wrap Fiberglass: This type of fiberglass is difficult to install, but extremely
inexpensive for your hot insulation needs. It both keeps the contents being transported at the
proper temperature, while ensuring the excess heat remains within the piping system.
The most important part about picking a hot insulation material is understanding the
maximum temperature the insulation will be covering. Components less than 350F
can be covered with off the shelf pre-molded fiberglass. When components are near

or above temperatures of 1000F, silica or ceramic insulation is usually required. It is

very important to adhere to manufactures suggestions when picking and installing
insulation for hot components.

Cold Insulation Materials

The Insulation is required for environment temp. below ambient The type of Insulation comes under
Cold Insulation. The materials required and generally applied for the Cold Insulation are as under:

1. Thermocole: Both in ND and TF quality Upto -20 0C.

2. Polyurethane Foam: Upto - 200 0C.
The Insulation can also be done by machine, providing cavity of the required thickness and
dispensing the PU Chemicals in defined proportion through dispensing machine where the
isothermal reaction takes place and foam is formed. The job can be done at site and the process is
called as Pouring In-Situ.
3. Phenolic Foam: Upto - 180 0C.
4. Nitrile Rubber: Upto - 200 0C
It will be interesting to note that the above material can be applied in Block and Pipe Sections by
Manual Application process.

Just like hot insulation materials, some of the materials used to produce cold
insulation vary dependent upon the system of pipes they are insulating. Therefore,
the materials used in either hot or cold insulation are dependent on the
customization of the particular piping system. Two common materials used in cold
insulation are:
Polyurethane Foam: Perfect for handling low thermal conductivity and substances with
below freezing temperatures. Polyurethane foam also allows for low smoke emission and low
water vapor permeability.
Rubber Foam: Rubber foam is also often recommended for condensation control as the
closed cell technology is highly resistant to moisture vapor.
With chilled insulation, keeping the cold in is as important as keeping the heat out.
There are many types of insulation used on chilled water pipes. The two most
popular are foam glass and rubber insulation or Armaflex. Although a little more
difficult to work with than pre molded fiberglass, when installed correctly, these
materials do a great job of stopping condensation and preventing energy loss.

What Is the Difference?

The difference between hot and cold insulation materials comes down to a few
things. Firstly, the materials used in hot insulation covers doesnt require a water
vapor barrier that a cold insulation system needs to properly function. The water
vapor barrier helps prevent metal degradation that can occur overtime.
Buildups of condensation occur within cold systems, which require bendable or
flexible insulation to deal with this issue. Therefore, the types of metal, fiberglass,
foam and other materials used for thermal bridging in cold insulation are much more
flexible and moldable than those found in hot insulation materials.
Lastly, closed cell structure is needed in cold insulation to help avoid wicking. The
material in high temperature insulations allows water to enter because the heat will
cause the moisture to evaporate. However, in a cold insulation system the water will
not evaporate. Closed cell structure of the cold insulation material helps prevent this
problem.

Wrapping Up
Once the insulation has been chosen, an exterior jacketing must be picked. When
the insulation is installed properly and to manufactures suggestions, the covering is
usually chosen for the environment it will be exposed to rather than the hot or cold
type it is insulating. For interior components, that will not be walked on or subjected
to frequent damage, PVC or silicone is normally used. For pipes that may be
subjected to frequent damage, metal or thicker PVC can be used.

INSULATION SERVICES
The Insulation Services offered by us are delivered immediately after we receive inquiry from the customers as

customers. The well experienced experts in the company verify the products to be used in the process and deeply
initializing the process.

We offer an entire gamut of Hot & Cold Insulation services for various industrial sectors. We render Hot Surface Insul
(thermal fluid), hot water, reactors and vessels, process pipeline, etc.

Cold Pipe Insulation

A) One coat Black Paint, Fixing Thermacoal, Second Coat Hot, Bitumen, Fixing with Chicken Wire Mess, Joint Sealed
Sand

cement

B) One coat Black Paint, Fixing Thermacoal, Second coat Hot Bitumen, Joint Sealed with G. I. Bending Wir

C) One Coat Black Paint, Fixing Thermacoal, Second coat Hot Bitumen, Fixing with Chicken Wire Mess, Joint Seale
D) Fixing Nitro Rubber Insulation Pipe Section & Sheet, Joint Shall be covered with approved adhesive & joint sealed w

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Duct Insulation
A) Applying Black Paint Fixing Thermacoal Coated with Hot Btument, Fixing with Chicken Wire Mess,
B) Applying Black Paint, Fixing Puff Slab, Coated with Hot Bitument, Fixing with Chicken Wire Mess,

C)
Applying
Cold
Bitument,
Fixing
RB
Glasswool
with
Aluminium
Foil,
Joint
Sealed
wi
D) Fixing Nitro Rubber Insulation Sheet, Joint Shall be covered with approved adhesive & joint sealed with PVC Tape

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Pipe Insulation

Hot Pipe Insulation

A) Glasswool Fixing with G.I. Bending Wire & Chicken Wire Mess, Finished with Aluminium Cladding Jo

B) Rockwool FIxing with G.I. Bending Wire & Chicken Wire Mess, Finished with Aluminium Cladding, Jo
C) Glasswool Fixing with G.I. Bending Wire & Chicken Wire Mess, Finished with POP Plaster one coat of Salicoat, Finis

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Solar Water Insulation

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Cold Room Insulation

A) First layer fixing Wooden Gatti, Fixing with Chicken Wire Mess joint sealed with G.I. Bending Wire

B) First layer fixing Wooden Gatti, Puff Slab fixing with Chicken Wire Mess, Joint sealed with G.I. Bending W

C) First layer fixing G.I. Framing, Thermacoal fixing with Chicken Wire Mess joint sealed with G.I. Bending W
D) First layer fixing G.I. Framing, Puff Slab fixing with Chicken Wire Mess, joint sealed with G.I. Bending Wire finished w

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Wall Insulation

A)

Fixing

Thermacoal

B)

Fixing

Puff

Slab

&

Wooden
&

Wooden

Gatti
Gatti

Joint
Joint

Sealed
Sealed

C)
Fixing
Nitro
Rubber
Insulation
Sheet,
Joint
Shall
D) Fixing Wooden Gatti & Rockwool Screw, Joint Shall be covered with Washer, Rawal Plug

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Roof Insulation (Under Deck Insulation) On RCC

with
with
be

Screw,

Screw
covered

A) Applying Black Paint coating with Hot Bitumen Thermacoal fixing with Screw, Washer, Rawal Plug, J

B) Applying Black Paint, coating with Hot Bitumen, Puff Slab fixing with Screw, Washer, Rawal Plug, j
C)

Applying

Cold

Bitumen,

Rockwool

fixing

with

Screw,

Washer,

Rawal

Plug,

joint

se

D) Fixing Nitro Rubber Insulation Sheet, Joint Shall be covered with approved Adhesive, fixing with Screw, Washer, Ra
Wire

Roof Insulation (Under Deck Insulation) On Cement Sheet & G.I. Sheet

A)
B)

Fixing
Rockwool

fixing

Thermacoal
with

Chicken

fixing
Wire

Mess

G.I.
Joint

Sealed

C)
Puff
Slab
fixing
with
G.I.
D) Fixing Nitro Rubber Insulation Sheet Joint Shall be covered with approved Adhesive Fixing G.I. Bending Wire

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wit

Sound Proof Insulation

A) First layer fixing Wooden Gatti Joint Sealed with Screw, Washer, Rawal Plug, Fixing Rockwool with Tissue Pap
Sheet

B)
Fitting
G.I.
Channel,
Fixing
Rockwool
Sheet
with
Tissue
Paper
Joint
Sealed
wit
C) Fitting Air Gap Sound then Fitting G.I. Channel, Fixing Rockwool Sheet with Tissue Paper, Finished with Aluminium

Chiller Insulation

A) One Coat Black Paint, One Hot Bitument, Thermacoal Fixing with G.I. Bending Wire & Chicken Wire Mess

B) Applying Black Paint, coated with Hot Bitument, fixing Thermacoal, Joint sealed with G.I. Bending Wir
C) Fixing Nitro Rubber Insulation Sheet, Joint Shall be covered with approved adhesive & joint sealed with PVC Tape