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Insulation materials and elements are used to reduce or prevent the transmission of heat, sound or electricity. This is true in both hot and cold climates. In cold climates, it is intended to stop the flow of heat out of a building whilst in hot climates, its purpose is to slow the movement of heat into a building. Insulation materials must be applied in sufficient thickness to prevent casing distortion, to reduce radiation losses to an economic minimum and to ensure personnel protection. Examples of insulation materials include wool, fiberglass, rock wool, polystyrene, polyurethane, and goose feather. Browse through this category for various insulation materials and elements available in Zambian stores.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass consists of extremely fine glass fibers and is one of the most ubiquitous insulation materials. It's commonly used in many different forms of insulation: blanket (batts and rolls), loose-fill, and 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:
Mineral wool contains an average of 75% post-industrial recycled content. It doesn't require additional chemicals to make it fire resistant, and it is commonly available as blanket (batts and rolls) and loose-fill insulation.
Cellulose Insulation Material
Cellulose insulation is made from recycled paper products, primarily newsprint, and 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..
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. Cotton insulation is available in batts.
Sheep's Wool - For use as insulation, sheep's wool is also treated with borate to resist pests, fire, and mold. 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 colourless, 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 can perform better because the liquid foam molds itself to all of the surfaces.
Polyurethane Insulation Materials
Polyurethane is a thermoset 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.
Perlite Insulation Materials
Perlite insulation materials are commonly found as attic insulation in homes built before 1950. Perlite consists of very small, lightweight pellets, which are made by heating rock pellets until they pop. This creates a type of loose-fill insulation made of pellets that can be poured into place or mixed with cement to create a lightweight, less heat-conductive concrete.
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 aircrete® 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 currently has limited availability as a board insulation and is also available 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.