Foreword. In an effort to live in warmth and comfort, everyone first of all tries to protect the house from the cold and extraneous noise from the street. People have always sought protection from the heat of summer and the cold of winter. If mineral wool insulation is used as thermal insulation, then you can save yourself from frost in winter and from scorching heat in summer. In this article we will consider the main technical characteristics of mineral wool.

Mineral wool, the technical characteristics of which, we will consider today, has several varieties and world-famous manufacturers, each of the types has advantages and disadvantages. Next, we will consider which thermal insulation materials can be considered mineral wool in order to make the right choice when buying thermal insulation in accordance with the requirements.

The main types of mineral wool

According to GOST 52953-2008, three materials are classified as mineral wool: slag fiber, glass fiber, and stone wool. All materials have a different structure - the length and thickness of the fiber, differ from each other in terms of resistance to stress, thermal conductivity, moisture resistance and the ability to withstand an open flame. Let's talk in detail about each type of mineral wool and list their characteristics.

Glass wool. Specifications

Glass wool consists of fibers with a length of 15 to 50 mm and a fiber thickness of 5 to 15 microns. Glass wool is resilient and durable, but you should work with the material carefully, because. fragile glass threads can dig into the skin, get into the eyes or accidentally inhale into the lungs, injuring the mucous membranes. When working with insulation, wear a protective suit, gloves, goggles and a respirator.

The main characteristics of fiberglass mineral wool:

Thermal conductivity coefficient - from 0.03 to 0.052 watts per meter per Kelvin.
The permissible heating temperature is up to 450 degrees Celsius.
Hygroscopicity - medium.

Slag. Specifications

The insulation is made from blast-furnace slag, the slag fibers have a length of 16 millimeters and a thickness of 4 to 12 microns. Slags have residual acidity and can attack metal surfaces in a humid environment. Slag wool absorbs moisture well, therefore it is unsuitable for thermal insulation of the steam room, the facade of the house, and the insulation of water pipes. In addition, the material is quite fragile.

The main characteristics of mineral wool from slag:

Thermal conductivity coefficient - from 0.46 to 0.48 watts per meter per Kelvin.
The permissible heating temperature is up to 300 degrees Celsius.
Hygroscopicity is high.

Technical characteristics of mineral wool. table

Stone wool. Specifications

Stone wool fibers are about the size of slag wool. But the insulation has a significant advantage - it does not prick. Stone wool is more convenient and much safer to work with than fiberglass or slag material. This is the most popular type of mineral wool today, and if they say “mineral wool technical characteristics”, then we are talking, as a rule, about stone wool.

The main characteristics of mineral wool from rocks:

Thermal conductivity coefficient - from 0.077 to 0.12 watts per meter per Kelvin.
The permissible heating temperature is up to 600 degrees Celsius.
Hygroscopicity - medium.

Mineral wool grades

Manufacturers offer mineral wool in the form of plates, rolls and mats. The material successfully insulates the roof of the house, ceilings and attic floors, internal walls and partitions. There are no difficulties in using the material. The density of basalt wool can be different, there are several brands of it in accordance with this parameter. Let's look at each brand next.

Mineral wool P-75

The density is 75 kilograms per cubic meter. The insulation is suitable for insulating horizontal planes that are not subjected to heavy loads - attics and some types of roofs. This brand of basalt mineral wool is also used for wrapping pipes of heating plants, gas and oil pipes. Mineral wool of lower density is used where there are no loads.

Mineral wool P-125

The density is 125 kilograms per cubic meter. The insulation has good soundproofing properties, suitable for floor and ceiling insulation, thermal insulation of walls inside. It can be used as internal wall insulation in houses made of brick, foam block or aerated concrete. Using this material, you can not only qualitatively insulate the facade for siding, but also get excellent sound insulation.

Mineral wool PZh-175, PZh-200

The density is 175 and 200 kilograms per cubic meter. The insulation is not only dense, but also has increased rigidity, which is what the abbreviation means. It is used for thermal insulation of ceilings and walls made of reinforced concrete or sheet metal. The brand of basalt wool PZH-200 can be used as additional protection of residential premises from fire.

Today, mineral wool of excellent quality is produced, such well-known manufacturers as "URSA", "

Find out in which direction the mineral wool fibers are located. If the fibers are arranged vertically, then the insulation will better save heat, if the fibers are arranged randomly, then the material becomes more durable, withstanding considerable loads.

Slag wool and glass wool are distinguished by low prices, but think before you buy them. These materials do not differ in improved thermal insulation, and there are enough problems during installation - if glass wool gets on the skin or mucous membrane, then the affected area will itch for a long time.

High soundproofing and heat-insulating characteristics, as well as moisture and fire resistance make mineral wool products indispensable in the construction of objects of various significance. A modern alternative to insulation is ecowool.

Thermal conductivity of mineral wool

Mineral wool is a heat-insulating fibrous material that is obtained by melting metallurgical slags, silicate rocks and their mixtures. Heat-insulating boards are produced from such material for building objects, which can be used in external and internal insulation systems. If necessary, some types of thermal insulation are installed under tension,. Its properties make this material indispensable and widely used.

Due to the raw materials used for production, mineral wool is divided into slag and stone wool. In the latter case, such rocks as diabase, dolomite, basalt and limestone are used, and in the first case, slags (production metal wastes) are used. The raw material is subjected to excessive heating with further formation of mineral fiber by centrifugal or blowing method. The melt jet is exposed to centrifugal force, compressed gas or water vapor, resulting in the formation of the finest fibers, which are subsequently pressed. The resulting mineral wool has an increased and heat-insulating ability, is moisture resistant and non-combustible.

Thermal insulation characteristics and properties based on reduced thermal conductivity. The orientation of the compressed fibers plays an important role in this: the scattered arrangement guarantees better thermal insulation, however, the vertical position helps to create a lower density board while maintaining increased strength. Incombustibility allows its use in the form of fire insulation, since products made of such material effectively prevent the spread of flame and do not emit harmful and toxic substances under its influence.

Mineral wool - good sound insulation

10.08.2017 0 Comments

Mineral wool is one of the most popular heaters in the building materials market. It is used almost everywhere from private houses to water mains. This is not surprising, the material is cheap, easy to install and effective, but is everything so simple with it? Let's figure out what mineral wool is, how to choose and apply it correctly.

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Types of mineral wool and production features

Despite the fact that several heaters are called mineral wool at once, they all differ both in composition and in their properties. These include:

1. Slag.

As you can see, the composition of mineral wool varies greatly, but what unites it? First of all, it is the structure of the material. Mineral wool consists of thin fibers woven together. They are tightly packed to increase strength. The result is a flexible and strong structure with empty space between the fibers. It is filled with air, which provides thermal insulation. The density of mineral wool remains quite low, which greatly facilitates its installation and transportation.

Glass wool is the most famous, but far from the most popular type of insulation. It is made from recycled glass with the addition of sand, lime and several other chemicals. The mixture is poured into the furnace, where it is melted to a fluid homogeneous mass. The resulting substance is blown under high pressure or with the help of a centrifuge through a fine grate, and fine fibers are formed.

The red-hot threads settle in a special chamber, where a large dense thread is formed from them. In this state, they are not yet connected to each other and easily break up. To fix the structure on the fibers, a binder mixture is sprayed in an even layer. Most often, phenol-formaldehyde resin is used for this. The resulting structure is compressed and sent to cool. So cotton wool takes on a familiar look, but it is not yet ready for use. It is coated with a polymer composition and sent to the oven for repeated heat treatment, but this time softer. The last 2 operations give mineral wool boards high strength and resistance to constant temperature changes and high humidity.

The production technology of the other two types of mineral wool is similar, the difference lies only in the composition. In stone wool, basalt rocks are used as a base, and waste from ferrous metallurgy is used to make slag wool. It is clear that the structure of mineral wool-based heaters remains the same, but we will figure out what the composition affects.

The most flexible type of mineral wool. Features of the composition allow the production of material of different densities. Because of this, the density of rock-based mineral wool varies greatly. A denser material is used in cases where high strength is required from it. It is sheathed with metal structures in industrial premises, pipes, loaded structures made of reinforced concrete and other elements subject to constant fluctuations or temperature changes.

Mineral wool from stone rocks is produced both in rolls and in rigid molding. If everything is clear with the use of the first type of material, then molded insulation is used to close pipes and vibrating elements. It provides a tighter contact of the mineral wool with the surface, which provides sound insulation. In this case, it is necessary to choose not only the grade of the material, but also its shape so that it matches the surface to be insulated.

Stone mineral wool is used in cases where high strength is not required from it: in collectors, on technical floors, roofs. In addition to the lower price, its advantage is also that the flexible material is easier to mount.

Another plus of stone-based insulation is resistance to temperatures up to 800 degrees. Therefore, it is used not only as a heater, but also as a fireproof coating.

In some cases, stone mineral wool is produced with foil. A thin layer of metal significantly increases the strength and durability of the material, and also improves moisture insulation.

A cheaper type of thermal insulation, characterized by a characteristic yellow tint. It is used in cases where increased requirements are not imposed on the strength of the coating.

A significant drawback of glass wool is a prickly surface. The insulation consists of many thin pieces of glass that dig in. The small length does not allow them to cause serious harm to a person, but pieces of glass remain on the skin after contact, which can lead to chemical burns. Because of this, it is impossible to work with it without gloves, and it is advisable to use safety glasses as well. Glass wool can not be used in residential premises and spaces where people constantly work.

Most often, glass-based mineral wool slabs are mounted under ventilated facades. There they remain protected from mechanical impact and human or animal contact with them. Often it is used for thermal insulation of pipes. In this case, mineral wool mats are used, which are wound on a cylindrical surface. Outside, they are sheathed with a dense mineral tissue and fixed with wire or bundles.

slag wool

A material that is used less and less. It is produced from slag formed after metal smelting in a blast furnace. As you might guess, this significantly reduces the cost of the insulation, but its properties are not the best either. Both the thermal conductivity and the chemical resistance of the material suffer.

Slag mineral wool is produced only in rolls. Due to the low rigidity, the material does not hold its shape well, so plates from it are not molded. The main disadvantage of slag wool is vulnerability to moisture. Under the influence of water, chemical reactions begin to occur in it, and the integrity of the fibrous layer is broken over time. Over time, slag in the open air simply turns into rags. As you might guess, the service life of mineral wool from slag is significantly lower in comparison with analogues. Slag wool is being produced less and less, and it is usually used only for insulating warehouses and garages due to the low cost of insulation.

The main characteristics of mineral wool

Let us immediately highlight several main criteria by which thermal insulation is selected:

• thermal conductivity;
• combustibility;
• density;
• vapor permeability;
• soundproofing.

The main indicator is the coefficient of thermal conductivity of mineral wool. It is measured in W / (m * s) and usually ranges from 0.03 to 0.045. The lower the value, the better. It is the thermal conductivity of mineral wool that characterizes its main function - the ability to reduce heat flow through the insulated surface.

Often important and the quality of waterproofing. It is characterized by a vapor permeability index, which is measured in g / (m * h * hPa). The higher the value, the better the insulation passes moisture, and it is not so clear. Somewhere good ventilation is required, and somewhere vice versa. Initially, mineral wool passes water well, therefore, in cases where waterproofing is required, it is necessary to use foil mineral wool.

Due to the fibrous structure of mineral wool, it also copes well with damping sound vibrations. The quality of sound insulation is indicated on the packaging with the AW marking, the value of which varies from 0 to 1. The closer the indicator is to one, the better the material dampens sound waves.

Soundproofing and insulation of concrete floors with mineral wool.

The density of mineral wool affects all of the above characteristics, but it is not indicated on the packaging for this. The indicator is used to calculate the weight of the structure, so, other things being equal, lower density is a plus.

The last significant characteristic of mineral wool is combustibility. The material is non-combustible and has good heat resistance. It holds the structure and does not emit toxic substances at temperatures up to 650 degrees, and to increase fire safety, a special resistant mineral wool is produced with the appropriate marking on the package.

Choice of mineral wool

We have already figured out the features of the production of mineral wool and its properties, it remains to understand what criteria to choose a heat-insulating material by. One of the key criteria is always the price. It's easy to choose quality material, but why pay for features you'll never need?

First, decide where you are going to use the insulation. Mineral wool made of glass under plaster is an excellent option for facade insulation. And also glass wool can be used in technical rooms or for pipe insulation. Despite the lower cost, it does an excellent job.

For industrial premises and internal insulation of houses, manufacturers recommend using rock-based mineral wool. It is completely safe for humans and tolerates constant vibrations well. In places where waterproofing is required, it is better to use mineral wool with foil.

As for the slag, it is better not to buy it. The material is outdated and does not justify even its low cost. Saving on thermal insulation, you run the risk of having to redo it in the future.

It is worth remembering that the main indicator that you should look at when choosing a material is the thermal conductivity of mineral wool. You buy a product for thermal insulation, and it is this parameter that characterizes it. The remaining indicators are already selected for a specific object.

Now you know almost everything about mineral wool, its features and what it is. It remains only to choose a suitable brand of thermal insulation and a store. In the event that you are not sure what exactly you need, it is better to contact the builders or an experienced designer for advice.

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The attempts of many residents of houses to increase the comfort of living in winter motivated the installation of efficient heating systems. But a stable temperature in these cases borders on increased energy costs. And the whole house solves two problems at the same time - maintaining a stable temperature regime and minimizing heating costs. At the same time, a good indicator of sound insulation is also achieved.

Specifications of mineral wool

Mineral wool is known for having one of the most effective thermal conductivity indicators. If we compare it with similar parameters of other heaters, then mineral wool is on the same level in terms of efficiency as polystyrene and significantly outperforms many other heaters.

• The coefficient of thermal conductivity of mineral wool for its different variants ranges from 0.036-0.042 W / (m * K). This parameter is affected by the density of the insulation
• The density of mineral wool is set by the manufacturer depending on its functional purpose and form of release. Standard indicators are 100,150,200 kg/m3. The higher the density, the more efficient the material's ability to retain heat.
• Another important characteristic of mineral wool is its ability to withstand the influence of biological forms. With sufficient convection, mineral wool is not the best place for the development of fungal forms and molds.
• The property of mineral wool regarding hygroscopicity also plays a role in its functionality. Moisture does not accumulate on its fibers and freely penetrates through them. This circumstance gives reason not to be afraid about the displacement of the dew point into the thickness of the insulated surface. In addition, relative hygroscopicity allows the material to be used for ventilated facades.

Important! Although mineral wool fibers do not absorb moisture into themselves, they are able to retain it in the structure of the material between the fibers. Therefore, it is recommended to use this material only when insulating the outer part of the building or inside the wall structure.

• An important positive property of mineral wool is its resistance to high temperatures. The ignition of the material is practically excluded, since the phenol-formaldehyde resins included in its composition do not have a tendency to burn. Even at the risk of fire, mineral wool fibers do not light up, but only melt slightly, while maintaining temperatures up to 800 degrees
• Regarding the heat capacity and the ability to retain heat, the fact that mineral wool can withstand a temperature drop to -160 degrees without consequences is evidence.

However, when insulating with mineral wool any structural surfaces of a building, it must be borne in mind that mineral wool undergoes deformation over time, forming cold bridges. However, such manifestations can be expected after 8-10 years of operation.

Another disadvantage of mineral wool is that its fibers are accessible to rodents. And although they are not interested in the material as food, they can arrange their nests in the thickness of the insulation.

Mineral wool is used for warming not only private houses, but also apartments, as well as its individual parts. If you live on the first floor and know, then you can insulate it from the outside with mineral wool.

For the inner walls of the balcony, foam is more often used. Read about which is better (foam or mineral wool). The article provides a detailed comparison of these two materials.

What types of mineral wool are produced today

The production of this insulation is based on the use of mineral components that have identical properties. The structure of each type of mineral wool is a chaotic interlacing of fibers, which contributes to the adhesive strength and insulating properties.

The most common types of mineral wool today are:

• stone wool
• glass wool
• slag wool

Despite the general parameters, these categories of mineral wool have some features.

glass wool

This category of mineral wool is produced by melting several components:

• sand
• Limestone
• Dolomite

As a result, a material with a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.038-0.040 W/m*K is achieved. In this case, the resulting length of the fibers reaches 0.5 cm, and their thickness is 12 microns.

Glass wool is one of the first materials in this category. It has all the inherent advantages, but has one significant drawback.

Glass wool in the structure of the fibers contains the smallest particles of glass, which very often injure workers during the insulation process, so the main requirement when working with mineral wool is to take precautions.

Otherwise, this material is suitable for insulating floors, walls, roof structures.

slag wool

The characteristics of this type of mineral wool are somewhat more modest. The reason for this is its active ingredients. Slag is made from blast-furnace waste. Waste slags go through the same processing steps as in the glass wool production process. In this case, fibers up to 15-16 mm long and 5 to 8 microns in diameter are formed.

• Slag wool components contain high residual acidity, which can react with metal components and cause corrosion.
• The thermal conductivity of slag wool is slightly higher and is 0.048-7-0.052 W / (m * K). The fire resistance parameters are also less attractive - slag wool is able to withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees, after which it begins to deform

stone wool

In recent years, this material has become the most popular among analogues. Stone wool is made from basalt rocks. , or rather, its thermal conductivity is the most effective - from 0.032 to 0.038 W / (m * K).

It has stone wool and sufficient density, which increases the period of its operation up to ten years. It is less prone to deformation and does not pose an environmental hazard. Temperature resistance is also high - it can withstand up to 900 degrees.

When choosing mineral wool for insulation, you need to take into account the conditions of its operation and location. Insulation in the form of mats will last longer and provide a greater level of heat capacity.

It is necessary to pay attention to the density and thickness of mineral wool. The price of mineral wool is often justified by its technological characteristics, but this is not a decisive feature in the choice of material.

When buying, you need to pay more attention to the indicators of thermal conductivity and vapor barrier.

And then it will be possible to confidently stay for many years in a comfortable environment with a stable temperature in any frost outside the windows.

Video about the characteristics of mineral wool

Characteristics of Rockwool stone wool. Benefits of stone wool

How glass wool is made. The process of manufacturing fiberglass thermal insulation in production is shown.

Mineral wool is a fibrous building material used in various types of external and internal insulation systems. It is made from melted glass, blast-furnace slag, lava rocks, the structure of the threads is set technologically. This allows you to control such technical characteristics of mineral wool as: thermal conductivity, density, hygroscopicity, vapor permeability. You can buy it in the form of plates, rolls, cylinders (to protect pipes), it is convenient to work with it - it weighs little and is easy to install.

The natural mineral base guarantees chemical resistance, the insulation is classified as non-combustible (NG) and can withstand up to 700 ° C, but contains synthetic binder resins with a degradation temperature of 350. . In many ways, the raw material and the geometric orientation of the fibers influence: strength, thermal resistance, moisture resistance and thermal conductivity. The values ​​of the characteristics depend on the brand; basalt (stone) wool with a chaotic structure is considered the best.

Manufacturers Overview

1. TechnoNIKOL.

Products are represented by well-known brands:

• Rocklight - mineral wool slabs for thermal insulation of horizontal, vertical and inclined structures, most in demand in private construction.
• Teploroll - thick mats, rolled up, are great for warming attics and basements, ceilings.
• Technoblock - insulating boards with high sound absorption, used when installing siding or frame panels.
• Technoacoustic - mineral wool with enhanced sound insulation effect (absorbs at least 60 dB of noise), ideal for an apartment, office, club room.

This is the highest quality basalt wool with a small amount of phenolic resins, which is as safe as possible for the user. Excellent ability to retain heat and sound absorption, moisture resistance and low vapor permeability are the main advantages of the mineral wool of this company.

They produce mineralized fiberglass wool with different degrees of density (from 10 types on the market). Performance is exceptional: fine fibers form a strong and lightweight frame that recovers from compression or deformation, the lowest hygroscopicity of all mineral wool options. Isover Tel technology has made it possible to create a glass fiber that is pleasant to the touch (due to the significant density of threads at a minimum diameter). But grades of medium and increased rigidity due to the presence of films in the structure according to GOST 30244-94 are considered low-combustible (SG), their use has slight restrictions. The price of the mineral wool of this company is acceptable, since recycled glass serves as a raw material.

It is made from quartz sand and belongs to environmentally friendly glass wool (confirmed by certificates). Advantages: flexibility, elasticity, ease and waste-free installation, protection against temperature changes, regardless of the season, excellent technical characteristics. On sale are 7 main varieties of mineral wool with different densities and tasks (a description of the properties and the recommended scope of application are indicated in the instructions), absolutely all of them belong to the NG class. This insulation provides a good fit to the structure, which makes it indispensable when laying a vapor barrier in a bath or thermal insulation of work surfaces at any angle.

Basalt-based mineral wool is used in private and industrial construction to protect various types of heat communications from freezing. The range is very extensive, the application temperature is from 180 to 1000 °C. The high price is explained by the versatility and quality: the mineral wool of this manufacturer has no restrictions and is even used for thermal insulation of food industry facilities. Assigned zero class fire safety, Rockwool has the ability to contain fire. Unique technical characteristics: high density (up to 90 g/cm2), no loss in permeability and composition purity, and almost zero hygroscopicity (material does not accumulate moisture). Mineral wool Rockwool is sold in ergonomic packages, it is profitable to buy it with a small amount of work.

Elastic mineral wool with a chaotic arrangement of fibers, in demand in frame construction, in systems with soft insulation. The advantages include: resistance to solvents of any type, excellent sound insulation, absence of asbestos impurities and chemical additives (no harmful substances are released during a fire). The material is vapor-permeable, so there is no accumulation of condensate on the walls even with frequent temperature fluctuations. As a result, Paroc mineralized wool insulation boards are ideal for interior decoration. There is only one drawback - the high cost, as with all types of molten rocks with a chaotic structure of threads.

Comparative description of the technical characteristics of mineral wool of different brands:

Name of mineral wool	Thermal conductivity, W/m∙С	Water absorption by volume, no more than, %	Density, kg/m3	Vapor permeability, mg/(m h Pa)
TechnoNIKOL
Technoblock	0,035	2	40–50	0,3
rocklight	0,039		30–40
Classic	0,041	2	11–12	0,55–0,6
Frame P37	0,034		12–35
Glasswool M-11	0,041	1,5	9–13	0,7
Glasswool P-30	0,042		16–18	0,55
Tech Mat	0,036	1,5	35–50	0,5
Tech Butts			50–150
eXtra	0,036	1	30	0,5
Uns 37	0,037

Costs

The cost, taking into account the dimensional characteristics, is:

Name of mineral wool	Size, mm	Package volume, m3	Area, m2	Number of plates, pcs	Price per package, rubles
TechnoNIKOL
Technoblock	1200×600×100	0,432	4,32	6	860
rocklight	1200×600×50		8,64	12	660
Classic	8200×1220×50	1	20	1	1200
Frame P 37	1170×565×50	0,714	14,27	20	1270
Glasswool M-11	10000×1200×50	1,104	24	2	1420
Glasswool P-30	1250×600×50	0,75	15	20	1510
rockwool
Tech Mat	5000×1000×50	0,25	5	1	150
Tech Butts	1000×600×160	0,12	1,2		120
eXtra	1200×600×50	0,504	10,08	14	960
Uns 37		0,576	11,52	16	1230

A review of manufacturers and a comparison of the technical characteristics of individual brands make it possible to make a choice in favor of mineral wool from molten rocks, as the most environmentally friendly, safe and multifunctional among heaters. But fiberglass is cheaper by about a third, if building codes allow, then with large volumes of work it is better to buy it. It is also important to follow the recommendations of manufacturers during storage and installation of mineral wool - despite its low hygroscopicity, it should be protected from getting wet.