Insulation, Mineral Wool, Radiant Barrier, Reflect

Cellular Glass Insulation Has Been Used For A Long Time

An old type of insulation that was used as far back as 1943 is still used today.  It is made with crushed glass and a cellulating agent.  This mixture is heated to about 900 degrees Fahrenheit.  Once it has reached this high temperature, the glass melts and mixes with the agent.  This mixture expands to the size of the container that is holding it.  It then forms into a rigid honeycomb of cells that are interconnected to make the Cellular Glass Insulation.  It is a popular insulation for commercial use because it cannot be penetrated by water, it is fire resistant, and it lasts forever.

Because it is a rigid material, it is not easy to work within small or irregular places.  Because glass is the main material in this form of insulation, it can be abrasive if it is against objects that have protective coatings.  If it scratches off the protective coating then those objects are open to corrosion.  Cellular Glass Insulation usually has a paper back so that it can adhere to other materials for buildings.  Because of this, it can also absorb some small measure of water and the overall effectiveness is reduced slightly.

This insulation is made into blocks, roof insulation boards, and also insulation as fitting covers and pipe covers as well as other shapes.  The blocks are usually tapered or flat.  Cellular Glass Insulation works in a temperature range of minus 450 degrees Fahrenheit to 900 degrees Fahrenheit.  Because it does not absorb water, one of the early uses was floatation blocks to hold up nets during World War II.  From the 50s to the 70s, it was also used in cold storage facilities.

There are many applications for Cellular Glass Insulation.  Water pipes and equipment that need to be kept chilled.  Hot water lines and hot oil piping and equipment, LNG piping, green roof insulation, cold process pipes and equipment, fireproof building panels and a lot more.  Because of its properties to withstand the extremities of low heat to high heat, it is a product that can be used in many applications. Searching on the internet will give you a good understaning of Cellular Glass Insulation.