Rock Wool Insulation Research Articles

A comparative examination of the fire performance of pipe insulation

AbstractA standard method for evaluating the fire performance of pipe insulation is not available in North America. In Europe, however, the regional standards organization NORDTEST has had available for several years now a method specifically designed for this purpose. The NORDTEST NT FIRE 036 test is a full‐scale room fire test where the pipe insulation is installed along the ceiling and subjected to a gas burner fire. Four classes of performance (Class I through III, plus unrated) are used to evaluate the products. In the present work, 4, different pipe insulation products, representing the most common materials used for this purpose, have been examined according to this test. The results showed that rock wool insulation gave the best fire performance, with phenolic foam being in the least safe rated category. Synthetic foam rubber and polyethylene insulation products gave intermediate performance.

Man‐made vitreous fibres: Evaluation of risks to health from environmental exposure in Canada

Abstract “Mineral fibres” are included on the List of Priority Substances to be assessed under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This assessment addresses several categories of man‐made vitreous fibres for which the databases were considered to be sufficient to permit assessment. On the basis of the excess in respiratory and lung cancer observed among production workers in epidemiological studies conducted to date, rock/slag wool is considered “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. Adverse effects of exposure to rock wool (only) have been observed in toxicological studies in animal species only at concentrations much greater (by more than 350 times) than the highest concentrations measured in the indoor environment in living areas during the installation of blown rock wool insulation. On the basis of the lack of observed excesses of cancer in glass wool production workers in the most extensive epidemiological studies conducted to date, and the lack of observation of significant increases in tumour in...

A Field Study of the Fire Resistance Characteristics of Aged Loose-Fill Insulations: An Update

Fire resistance is an important attribute of any loose-fill insulation. Current requirements only test these characteristics prior to installation in the house. The effects of aging on these characteristics have just recently been investigated. This paper reports the results of fire resistance testing on loose-fill insulation samples that have been installed in attics for a minimum of two years. Cellulose, fiberglass and rockwool insulations were sampled from attics in different areas of the country. Smoldering combustion and critical radiant flux testing were performed on all samples. Results are presented and compared to similar published papers in vestigating the effects of aging on loose-fill insulation.

TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE MINERAL WOOL INDUSTRY IN EUROPE

The technical development of the European mineral wool industry is presented with emphasis on its early history and those factors believed to be of significance for the working environment. Its early history was mainly based on trial and error and may have presented several potential hazards. At first, most of the plants produced wool without effective dust suppression. The highest fibre concentration is assumed to have occurred by the end of that period. Moreover, some plants had a short period of so-called batch operation, when the fibre exposure may have been high for a few workers. The exposure patterns for modern production and use are the same for glass wool and rock wool. In this presentation of the technological development of the MMMF industry in Europe, only the mineral (glass, slag and rock) wool insulation industry is covered.

A Practical Method for the Comparison of Mineral Wool Insulations in the Forensic Laboratory

Abstract The comparison of glass wool, slag wool, and rock wool insulations by means of refractive index and dispersion is practical and effective. The material is annealed at >1150°–1200°F; this process burns off the resinous coating and leaves the fibers and slugs suitable for microscopic study, solubility tests, fluorescence observations, and refractive index and dispersion measurements. Refractive index and dispersion values for the annealed fibers are obtained by the Emmons double variation method, using a hot stage, a monochromator, and a phase microscope. In a study of 34 mineral wool insulations, a range of refractive indices was obtained that was 7 times the range exhibited by window glasses. In one case the value of the method was proven when insulations from 3 sources were each matched with fibers and slugs from a suspect’s clothes.