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Special Materials (Thermal insulating or heat insulating materials)



-: Special Materials (Thermal insulating or heat insulating materials):-
What are thermal insulating materials? Or Definition of thermal insulating materials
Materials which not allow passing of heat through the materials are called thermal insulating materials.
What are different properties of thermal or heat insulating materials?
  1. Pores:
  • The most of thermal insulating materials are porous in structure.
  • Entrapped air or gages in pores decreases the thermal conductivity of material.
  • But large no. of pores causes reduced in strength.
  1. Presence of moisture:
  • The presence of moisture increases the thermal conductivity 20 times more than ordinary air.
  • Hence maximum pores contain moisture are responsible for increasing thermal conductivity.
  • So avoid this passing of moisture all pores should be closed.
  1. They should be bio-resistant and dry.
  2. They should be chemical resistance and fire-proof.
  3. It should have good mechanical strength for its safe storage, transportation, and erection.
  4. It density should not greater than 600kg/m3.
Classify thermal insulating materials.
  1. By structure:
a.       Fibrous and porous.
b.      Porous and granular.
c.       Cellular.
  1. By appearance: Slab, bricks, blocks, mats, etc.
  1. By heat conductivity:
a.       Low heat conductivity.
b.      Medium heat conductivity.
c.       High heat conductivity.
  1. By origin:
a.       Inorganic.
b.      Organic.
What are the types of inorganic heat insulating material?
  1. Rock wool:
  • It is fibrous produced from silica.
  • It is a fire proof, does not decay.
  • It used to making semi-stiff slabs, shells, etc.
  1. Foamed stag aggregate:
  • It is honey comb in structure.
  • It is light in weight.
  • It used to making heat insulating blocks.



  1. Glass wool:
  • It manufactured by melting glass.
  • It water proof, durable and chemically inert material.
  • It used to making mat of heat insulating materials.

  1. Aluminium foils:
  • It obtained by mixing together magnesium and zinc.
  • It has good electric insulating property.
  • It used for making of medicines.
What are the types of organic heat insulating material?
  1. Cork:
  • It is layer of dead cells on outside of the root of the cork oak tree.
  • It is impermeable to air and water.
  • It used for non conductive linings for scientific instruments.
  1. Fibre boards:
  • It produced by molding and drying of wood fribre mixed with polymer.
  • It is sheet material and available in following varieties.
a.       Fibrolite boards
b.      Reed boards
c.       Peat boards
d.      Corrugated boards
List various types of thermal insulating materials.
Following are the various types of thermal insulating materials-
Rock wood, slag wool, fibre board, flexible blankets, saw dust, wood shavings, cork board slabs, mineral wool slabs, aluminium foils, precast concrete products with light weight aggregate, gypsum board, asbestos cement boards, chip boars, foam glass, gasket cork sheet, foam plastic, thermocol, etc.
Give any two situations where thermal insulation and sound insulation are necessary.
Thermal insulating materials are used under following situations-
  1. For cold storage buildings.
  2. For furnaces.
Sound insulating materials are used under following situations-
  1. For cinema halls.
  2. Libraries.
  3. Sound testing laboratories.
  4. Recording studious. 
  5. Auditorium halls.


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