Thursday, October 23, 2014

The Basics Of Rock Wool Insulation

By Bradd Alan


Basically, the term rock wool insulation stands for a type of insulation that has been developed from the actual rocks and minerals as mined from the ground. There are other terms referring to this material such as slag wool insulation, stone wool insulation and mineral wool insulation.

To make the insulation, a manufacturer can exploit different minerals and rocks depending on the application of the final product. However, the most important factor that guides the manufacturer is the ability of the slag wool to hold water and block sound or noise. This is important because most of the insulations involving the glass wool are done in industries. Most of these industries are involved in crop production and building and construction factories where much noise is produced.

In order to get the best rock wool insulation, the raw materials including the minerals and actual rocks are heated in a furnace. A lot of heat is supplied enough to melt the materials, at temperatures of as high as 1600C after which air or stream current is blown into the molten mixture. Advanced modern technological developments are nowadays facilitating the rotating of the molten raw materials at high speeds through a spinning wheel. This procedure can be compared to the way cotton candy is processed in manufacturing factories.

This process will result into slag wool composed of intertwined fibers that are joined together by strong bonds of starch compound. To control impurities such as dust from being trapped in the fiber, oil is added to the molten mixture before cooling to prohibit such a setback. The rock wool produced will be a good conductor of heat that is also effective in controlling heat transfer where they are employed. This property of heat monitoring and transfer make them suitable for use in buildings that are prone to fires such as electricity and gas production companies.

The other features of the rook wool insulators is that they consume less energy and can enable the user to make huge savings on energy costs. They are also cheap to buy and make as they employ the locally available materials that are very durable. Furthermore, the rock wool insulation is free from cancer or respiratory causing pathogens. This has already been proved by a research by the World Health Organization.

The insulation is also adapted into retaining large amounts of water, a property that makes it water repellant. It will retain water as well as certain amounts of air making it to be the most reliable insulation in industries like hydroponics and horticulture. The ability to retain water has made it effective in supporting root growth and nutrients uptake in plants. However, the rock wool type of insulation may become hazardous especially when wet.

Rockwool is naturally basic and therefore would not be supportive for crop production industries. Therefore, a treatment to lower the pH must be done to achieve a neutral environment that favors growth. Soaking in pH-adjusted water for a number of days can help treat the basic rock wool to become neutral. The result makes the insulation a favorite environment for horticultural crops, keeping the roots strong and stable.

The other advantage of mineral wool is the fact that it's a good acoustic. This means that the insulation can be used to absorb noise industries and homes. Noise will normally hinder effective communication and therefore the insulation can be a relief to the users. For better outcome, the insulation is normally used together with acoustic ceilings in indoor applications where it offers a permanent insulation against sound pollution.




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