Mineral Wool Materials Research Articles

Влияние длительного естественного старения теплоизоляционных минераловатных материалов на физико-химические и термические превращения

Purpose. The article studies physico-chemical and thermal transformations of mineral wool thermal insulation of natural ageing. The subject of the study is thermal insulation materials of natural ageing, and the object of the study is their physicochemical and thermal characteristics. The aim of the work is to establish physicochemical and thermal transformations of mineral thermal insulation of natural ageing. The research is aimed at identifying features of physico-chemical and thermal transformations of thermal insulation based on mineral fibers and organic binders in the ageing process. Methods. A set of precision physicochemical methods such as X-ray phase analysis (XRF), infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis methods (TG, DTG, DSC) was used. Findings. The results of studying mineral thermal insulation (service life of 60 years) revealed characteristic changes in the structure of the material. The XRF method established that the ageing process of mineral wool materials is caused by occurring microdefects and disruption of material fibers structure organization. Changes in thermal insulation phase state have thermal fluctuation of kinetic nature of material mechanical destruction. The IR spectroscopy method identified changes in the areas of characteristic absorption bands: 2 800–2 200, 2 000–1 600 and 1 295–1 005 cm–1 caused by chemical destruction of organic binder in mineral thermal insulation. The nature of thermal transformations of the material was established, a tendency towards a decrease in the threshold temperatures for mass loss start due to destructing polymer binder was revealed. It is noted that natural ageing may result in loss of fire resistance of thermal insulation systems, as well as in intensificating smoldering combustion of thermal insulation. Research application field. The results are of interest to builders, designers, fire safety engineers and can be used in regulatory and technical as well as in reference literature on fire safety. Conclusions. During the ageing process irreversible physical and chemical changes occur in the structure of thermal insulation, leading to loss of thermal stability of the material and to a possible increase in the intensity of latent smoldering combustion. Technical obsolescence of the material leads to decreasing fire resistance limits of various thermal insulation systems due to loss of thermal insulation capacity and integrity.

Enhancing the hydrophobicity of the mineral wool through surface modification with organo-silane

Mineral wool materials are consistently preferred material to be used for building thermal insulation because of their low heat conductivity, making energy-efficient structures impossible to construct without highly insulating thermal envelopes. A mineral wool with a hydrophobic external surface could be used for several applications where hydrophobicity would be helpful. Organo-silanes are one of the most promising materials to impart hydrophobic character to varied surfaces to achieve performance properties such as dust-resistant coatings on building glass, solar panels with self-cleaning surfaces, biofouling resistant paints, self-cleaning car windshields etc. In this study, mineral wool was treated with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) to achieve hydrophobic surfaces.A Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer is used to confirm the successful deposition of organosilane/siloxane networks on glass wool fibre surfaces. The hydrophobicity of treated wool was assessed and quantified using a contact angle measurement. Contact angle measurement was used to quantify the hydrophobicity of treated wool. The thermal conductivity of treated mineral wool fiber was calculated using the portable Lee's disc method. To determine the thermal stability and crystallinity of the treated wool, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were used, respectively. The treated mineral wool exhibited excellent thermal stability up to 800 °C, and wettability tests proved the treated surface highly hydrophobic, allowing water droplets to roll off with contact angles up to 134.9°. Surface modification reduced thermal conductivity by 20%, showing good thermal resistance. Here, we show easy and sustainable methods of treating mineral wool surfaces, which can serve as a thermal insulation option under humid conditions.

MINERAL WOOL WASTE IN AUSTRIA, ASSOCIATED HEALTH ASPECTS AND RECYCLING OPTIONS

Mineral wool products are man-made vitreous fibres that are used as thermal and acoustic insulation materials and as substrates for horticulture. Mineral wool waste is generated from demolition activities by the building and construction industry. Unfavourable mechanical properties, such as low compressibility, elastic behaviour, high volume and low bulk density, cause problems in landfills when mineral wool waste is disposed of. Mineral wool waste with a certain content of carcinogenic fibres is classified as hazardous waste type 31437 g “Asbestos Waste, Asbestos Dust” in Austria, since some characteristics of such fibres are similar to those of asbestos fibres. An exception is those mineral wool materials that have been tested to be noncarcinogenic due to their characteristics of biological solubility or geometrical dimension. Such noncarcinogenic mineral wool waste is classified as non-hazardous waste type 31416 “Mineral fibres”. Generally, it can be assumed that most of the industrial producers of mineral wool in the EU have not been producing carcinogenic material since 1998; however, carcinogenic mineral wool material has not yet been banned in Austria. Therefore, a segregation between so-called “old” and “new” mineral wool material is not necessarily possible. The medical aspects of mineral wool products are still controversial. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluated mineral wool (glass wool and rock wool) as “possibly carcinogenic” in 1988 but revised this evaluation to “inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity” in 2002. Fibrous dusts that reach the alveolar region of the lungs undergo a congruent or incongruent chemical dissolution process. Alveolar macrophages ingest the intruded fibres and fulfil anti-infection and clearance functions. Biosolubility is a key property of this process. The recycling of mineral wool waste has not yet been performed in Austria due to economic inefficiency, technical problems and suspected health issues. However, some recycling and processing options already exist; other options are investigated in the project RecyMin, which compares different concepts with respect to environmental and economic criteria.

INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE STEEL TUBE CONFINEMENT CONCRETE PILLARS PROTECTION BY FIRE-RETARDANT MATERIALS

Currently, in Ukraine and abroad for the construction of high-rise buildings and structures using pipe-like structures. Wide application of pipe concrete columns is due to their high carrying capacity at relatively smaller overall dimensions due to the blocking of cracking in concrete by a steel clasp. The advantages of concrete columns should include more simplified conditions of technology of manufacturing and installation on their basis of bearing structures of floor covering.
 Piping constructions consist of steel shells and concrete core. Since the steel pipe mainly provides the bearing capacity of the concrete column, its failure or reduction of stiffness, which is characteristic of the fire under the influence of its thermal factors, leads to destruction. Investigation of fire resistance of concrete structures, which are not protected by flame retardant coatings, showed that a steel clasp during a fire after 15 minutes is heated to a critical temperature of 500 ° C.The use of flame retardant coatings is an effective method of fire protection of concrete constructions, which prevents the rapid heating of steel welds and provides a normalized fire resistance limit for such structures. In this work, studies were carried out on the effectiveness of fire protection of concrete columns with different types of fire-retardant materials - mineral wool slabs, special flame retardants and flame-retardant coatings. For fire protection mineral wool materials were used ROCKWOOL plates of the series "Conlit SL150". Mineral wool plates "Conlit SL 150" consist of fibers of rocks of a basalt group, they can withstand, without melting, temperature more than 1000 ° С. The silica-based adhesive "Conlit Glue" can withstand temperatures above 900 ° C, has good adhesion when bonding Conlit SL 150 mineral wool slabs with protective structures. From the second type of fire-retardant materials, the fire-proof composition "Naktresk" was chosen on the basis of gypsum. The coating is formed in the process due to hardening of the mixture on protected surfaces. The third type of flame retardant materials is the flame-retardant intumessent coating "Pyro-Safe Flammoplast SP-A2".It has been established that with the use of fire protection systems on the basis of mineral wool plates "Conlit SL150" and fire retardant "Nutresc", the fire resistance class of reinforced concrete columns increases from R 15 to R 180. The fire protection system on the basis of the painted paint "Pyro-Safe Flammoplast SP-A2" »Increases fire resistance from R 15 to R 75

Effect of the placement of aerogel insulation in the heat transfer properties

Nowadays, the thermal insulation both of existing and new buildings is one of the most important actions for reducing the energy loss of buildings and to reduce the emission of green house gases. In the European Union, buildings account for about 20–40% of the total final energy consumption. Examination of the thermal properties (e.g., effective thermal conductivity) of building materials and structures are very important both for the manufacturers and for the consumers. Several possibilities are available for measuring this parameter of materials. The mainly used thermal insulating materials are the plastic foamy and mineral wool materials; moreover, the nanotechnological insulators (e.g., aerogel, hollow nanospheres) are requiring spaces for themselves also. One promising them for the future is the silica aerogel-based slabs. Aerogels are nanoporous lightweight materials that were discovered more than 70 years ago. Nowadays, their applications are truly widespread. Firstly, in this article thermal transmittance measurements of wall structures will be presented with calibrated chamber method. These measurements were accomplished through an inbuilt plaster/brick/plaster wall construction individually. After that, it was covered with a 0.013-m-thick aerogel layer at first in a cold and then in the warm side. Comparison of the heat fluxes, insulation capabilities and effective thermal conductivities measured by the above-mentioned method will be presented. The change in the retardation time and in the surface temperatures will be also discussed. Secondly, in order to investigate the conductive effect, thermal conductivity measurements with Holometrix lambda 2000 apparatus were accomplished too.

Experimental and numerical analysis of sandwich panels with hybrid core

The paper presents the experimental and numerical studies of sandwich panels with a hybrid core. The sandwich panel consists of external steel facings and a core, which is made of polyurethane foam or mineral wool or a combination of those two materials. The polyurethane foam material has a low weight and high thermal insulation properties, while the mineral wool material can provide high acoustic insulation and excellent fire resistance. Various proportions of the core materials are taken into account. It is assumed that a proper combination can provide the benefits of both materials. The structural behavior of a sandwich structure with a hybrid core is observed during laboratory tests. The failure mechanism is investigated in a four-point bending test. The material parameters of the core and facings are determined in standardized tests. The obtained parameters are used for FE simulations of the four-point bending tests. The criteria of damage initiation and propagation are defined in the interface layer of the numerical model. A satisfactory correlation between laboratory tests and numerical results is reported. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis of the numerical model response to the variation of the parameters of the interface is presented.

Moisture dependent thermal properties of hydrophilic mineral wool: application of the effective media theory

Thermal properties of mineral wool based materials appear to be of particular importance for their practical applications because the majority of them is used in the form of thermal insulation boards. Every catalogue list of any material producer of mineral wool contains thermal conductivity, sometimes also specific heat capacity, but they give only single characteristic values for dry state of material mostly. Exposure to outside climate or any other environment containing moisture can negatively affect the thermal insulation properties of mineral wool. Nevertheless, the mineral wool materials due to their climatic loading and their environmental exposure contain moisture that can negatively affect their thermal insulation properties. Because the presence of water in mineral wool material is undesirable for the majority of applications, many products are provided with hydrophobic substances. Hydrophilic additives are seldom used in mineral wool products. However, this kind of materials has a good potential for application for instance in interior thermal insulation systems, masonry desalination, green roofs, etc. For these materials, certain moisture content must be estimated and thus their thermal properties will be different than for the dry state. On this account, moisture dependent thermal properties of hydrophilic mineral wool (HMW) are studied in a wide range of moisture content using a pulse technique. The experimentally determined thermal conductivity data is analysed using several homogenization formulas based on the effective media theory. In terms of homogenization, a porous material is considered as a mixture of two or three phases. In case of dry state, material consists from solid and gaseous phase. When moistened, liquid phase is also present. Mineral wool consists of the solid phase represented by basalt fibers, the liquid phase by water and the gaseous phase by air. At first, the homogenization techniques are applied for the calculation of solid matrix thermal conductivity. Subsequently, the thermal conductivity dependence on moisture content is evaluated by means of several mixing formulas. To verify the obtained results, Wiener’s and Hashin-Shtrikman’s bounds are used. The results show that the application of homogenization techniques can provide useful estimates of measured data and can be successfully used for much less time consuming thermal conductivity evaluation even for the highly inhomogeneous fibrous material such as mineral wool. The data on thermal properties can find use in building practice, especially in the design of thermal insulation building envelopes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.21.3.7334

Moisture Transport Properties of Hydrophilic Mineral Wool

Mineral wool materials are widely used for thermal insulation of buildings due to their low thermal conductivity and high fire resistivity. On this account, they are popular materials for passive fire protection of buildings. Thermal insulation boards are usually provided with hydrophobic admixtures that ensure their functional properties even in the contact with moisture. In this paper we focused on investigation of hygric transport properties of hydrophilic mineral wool materials that could find application in interior thermal insulation systems as well as in desalination and drying of salt laden materials and building structures. The obtained results give evidence of the effect of fiber orientation on studied material properties and reveal that fiber orientation perpendicular to board surface is a perspective way of materials development.

Predicted sound absorption coefficients of absorber materials lined in a chamber

Aims: The present study was aimed to measurement of sound absorption coefficient of mineral wool and determination of their absorption ability. Materials and Methods: Mineral wool was used to find noise absorption coefficient. Random and normal sound absorption coefficient values were predicted. Then, the measures of transmission loss calculated as an overall value, for applied absorbent material and bare sheet metal. Results: The measured values of noise with one octave band frequency demonstrated an attenuation of 5.5-7 dB for these frequencies. The absorption coefficients of materials showed that mineral wool had more normal sound coefficients than its random sound absorption coefficient values. Conclusion: It can be concluded that predicted normal sound absorption coefficients of used mineral wool materials were near to the areas of standard line. It seems that the amount or thickness of absorbent lining was a main reason of noise reduction in low band frequencies. Mineral wool has a higher density and can provide better acoustical and insulating results than fiberglass. Besides, mineral wool doesn't lose its insulating value when wet and has an outstanding resistance to fire.

Thermal Treatment of the Mineral Wool Mat

The operational stability of mineral wool materials is largely determined by the uniformity of polycondensation the binder in the material volume. For optimization the thermal treatment parameters software system was designed, and its been tested in technology of layered products.

Mineral wool waste in Europe: a review of mineral wool waste quantity, quality, and current recycling methods

The construction and demolition (C&D) industry has been identified as a major source of waste. European Union legislation states that, by 2020, 70 % of C&D waste must be prepared for reuse, recycled or recovered. European Union member states must increase their C&D waste recycling percentages in order to meet this binding target. Utilization of mineral wool waste, often considered unrecyclable, could improve the recycling percentage of C&D waste. In this article, mineral wool production and waste volumes are estimated based on information from the Eurostat database. A literature survey is conducted to collect information about mineral wool material properties, current recycling methods, and barriers to recycling of mineral wool, and suitable methods for separating mineral wool from C&D waste streams and the economic viability of mineral wool recycling are discussed. It is noted that accurate estimation of mineral wool waste volumes is problematic due to the fragmented nature of available data. Based on the literature review, current methods for recycling mineral wool waste include utilization of mineral wool waste as a raw material in various products. Barriers to recycling include economic questions and issues related to the purity and health effects of mineral wool waste. Material properties of mineral wool waste, such as fire resistance, could provide improved properties in products utilizing mineral wool waste as a raw material.

Thermal Conductivity of Mineral Wool Materials Partially Saturated by Water

The thermal conductivity of several types of mineral wool-based materials, namely, materials with hydrophobic admixtures, hydrophilic admixtures, and without any admixtures are measured as a function of moisture content from the dry state to the partially water saturated state. An impulse technique is employed for the measurements using both surface and needle probes. The data are analyzed using the Bruggeman effective media concept for different shapes of inclusions and Wiener’s basic formulas. It is found that for most materials, the experimental data for thermal conductivity in the range of low moisture content are close to the lower Wiener’s bound but in the range of higher moisture content the data are close to the upper Wiener’s bound.

Effect of hydrophilic admixtures on moisture and heat transport and storage parameters of mineral wool

Water vapor diffusion coefficient, liquid moisture diffusivity, adsorption isotherm, water retention curve, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity of two new hydrophilic mineral wool materials are determined in the paper. For the sake of comparison, the same parameters are also measured for two hydrophobic mineral wool materials and two mineral wool materials without any specific admixtures. It is shown that the thermal properties of hydrophilic materials and their water vapor transport and storage properties are very similar to common mineral wool but their liquid water transport and water storage parameters are significantly enhanced compared to the reference materials.

New products

A new system to line furnaces with lightweight ceramic fiber and mineral wool materials, instead of thick insulating firebrick, has been introduced by the Refractories and Electronics Division of The Carborundum Company, Niagara Falls, New York.Called Fiberwall, the system consists basically of either thin ‘hot‐face’ blankets or regidized panels of alumina‐silica ceramic fiber, backed by a layer of temperature‐resistant mineral wool, and secured to the structural steel walls of the furnace by either ceramic or stainless steel hangers.