Insulation materials are produced from various sources such as animal products, vegetable fibers, minerals, and synthetic compounds and used to prevent transfer of heat, sound, and electricity, between two objects such as electrical appliances, industrial applications, and building materials in the construction sector. The insulation materials market is primarily divided into two categories thermal insulation and electrical insulation. The key to an effective insulation solution is the proper installation of enhanced-quality materials. There is a significant increase in demand for insulation material because it helps to reduce energy consumption in households, buildings, and even industries. These materials serve as heat conductivity resistance and are essential in keeping homes warm during winters and cool over summers. Weather conditions influence the applicable type and level of insulation in end-use.
In this article, we discover properties and types of insulation material which increases its demand in the global market for insulation material. In insulation materials market, there are various types of materials with different properties for end-users.
Properties of insulation materials:
Some of the common physical properties of insulation materials are as follows.
- Electrical conductivity: Electrical conductivity refers to the ability of materials to resist electricity flow between objects. The object allows electricity to pass through it if it has high electrical conductivity. Insulation materials have low electrical conductivity to keep the flow within set boundaries.
- Temperature limit: Insulation materials are designed to interact with high-temperature objects, but every material has a melting point, although it may be extremely high. While opting for effective insulation material, we must consider the operational temperature limit for a material.
- Thermal conductivity: This property of insulation materials measures the ability to resist heat flow. During the collision between two objects, heat transfer occurs between them, even if it is a smaller amount.
- Dielectric strength: Insulation can resist strong streams of flowing electricity, though insulators have a breakpoint where its electrons break by the force of electricity and become conductive. Dielectric strength measures the ability to hold voltage in materials. Because each material’s dielectric strength has a direct impact on application, it is essential to measure this characteristic.
- Fire resistance: One of the major properties of insulation materials is fire resistance, as it helps to prevent appliances and other objects from catching fire. Materials with a low fire-resisting point can either catch fire or melt when exposed to high temperatures.
Types of insulation and materials:
The insulation materials market is providing various materials as per the requirement in different applications. From housing to industrial purposes, a wide range of solutions is available in the market. The major categories of insulation in market are as follows.
Thermal insulation: It maintains the steady heat or specific temperature inside a building. Thermal insulation creates a comfortable indoor environment for working and living. They are especially used to sustain inside spaces favorable to climatic conditions. They minimize cooling during winters and heating in the summers, thereby preventing moisture condensation on roofs, interior walls as well as windows. The quality of good thermal insulation material should include resistance to fire, dampness, and termites as well as being stable, strong, and lasting. Some of the common thermal insulation materials in insulation materials market are as follows.
- Insulating blankets: Blanket insulators are flexible fibrous materials that come in the form of rolls. They are produced from cotton, mineral wool, animal hair, and processed wood fiber. Their thickness ranges from 1 to 8 cm and can be directly applied on the surface of ceiling and walls.
- Batt insulation materials: These materials are produced in smaller sizes for direct application and are among the traditional category of insulators. The thickness of Batt insulators lies between 5 to 9 cm.
- Block or slab insulators: These are tiny and strong materials manufactured using materials such as cork boards, rubber blocks, cellular glass blocks, mineral wood slabs, and cement. These compact modules are mounted to ceilings and roofs for lining.
- Insulating boards: These boards are used for portioning and internal lining of the roofs, walls, and other structures.
Electrical insulation: The electrical insulation is used to obstruct the stream of current flow. It plays an important role in electronic appliances and electricity distribution lines by ensuring safety and preventing free flow of current in bodies of electric appliances. Importance of electric insulation materials is increasing due to growing penetration of insulators in the market. Here are some common electrical insulation materials.
- Glass insulators: These materials are produced by combining different materials such as lime powder and quartz. Glass insulators do not allow moisture to go into the electrical equipment and contamination is easily seen through transparency.
- Polymer insulators: The polymer insulator is also referred to as a composite insulator. it is a strong mechanical substance with lightweight. These insulators have high shock resistance capacity and low installation cost.
- Porcelain insulator: Porcelain is also known as ceramic.It is an aluminum silicate materialused for overhead insulators in isolators, transmission lines, fuse units, sockets, plugs, and transformer bushings.