Foamed rubber: information about a little-known but effective thermal insulation

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

An interesting product, foamed rubber, is beginning to gain popularity in the market of heat-insulating materials. It is a product with a cellular structure of a closed type. Due to the absence of emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere, it can be considered safe for humans. Environmental friendliness allows you to significantly expand the scope.

Main product benefits

Before purchasing foamed rubber for thermal insulation of various structures and products, it is proposed to consider the positive qualities that it has. There are quite a lot of them, so only the most important ones are mentioned below.

So the material has:

• rather low thermal conductivity, making it possible to reduce heat loss with a small thickness;
• good flexibility, providing a good fit of insulation even to curved surfaces;
• simple structure with no additional layers;
• Low vapor permeability for longer service life.

When working with thermal insulation, you may only need to purchasesuitable composition for fixation, having a low cost. Some types of products are supplied with special self-adhesive tapes.

Common performance options

To make foamed synthetic rubber more convenient to use in a given situation, manufacturers supply it in various forms. Basically, the material is produced in rolls, bundles or tubes. Each of these options is suitable for certain cases.

Insulation in the form of bundles is used to seal all kinds of joints between structural elements. Usually, products are purchased for thermal insulation, the cross section of which varies in the range of 5-50 mm.

Foamed rubber is actively used for pipes with a large diameter. It usually comes in compact rolls. The material is fixed around the circumference with an adhesive composition. For conductive elements with a small cross section, thermal insulation in the form of small tubes is best suited.

Additives used in production

Porous rubber is obtained by combining rubber with sulfur. However, this option has significant limitations in terms of practical application. To change the physical properties of the base substance, it is necessary to modify the structure of the material. This can be done while adding other components.

The use of accelerators reduces the curing time, thereby improving the physical characteristics of the base material. Organic Supplementsare more active, so they are used much more often. Ammonium carbonate or bicarbonate acts as a foaming component.

A bit about the scope

In many cases reliable thermal insulation is required. Foamed rubber is an effective variety. Its use is justified in many cases, which is associated with high performance. Usually the material is applied in the following cases:

• if necessary, to protect industrial equipment from vibration loads and overheating of parts;
• during the isolation of joints between parts of technical structures and other mechanisms;
• for insulation of pipelines of ventilation, plumbing and heating systems.

In schools, kindergartens, hospitals and other institutions where special requirements are placed on environmental cleanliness, products without halogens and other harmful substances are used. This is due to the need to directly control the release of toxic gases during combustion.

One of the well-known manufacturers

K-FLEX foam rubber is especially popular. The manufacturing company was established in 2005. The plant itself is located on the territory of the Moscow region. The production uses high-tech equipment, which is based on modern developments.

Based on in-line extrusion technology to ensure a continuous cycle of the processmanufacturing. The company has the capacity to meet the demands of the Russian market. The number of products produced is constantly increasing. The purpose of a particular product is determined by the brand. Universal thermal insulation has the designation ST. It can be operated in the temperature range from -200 to 105 degrees. The density of the material is generally 40 kg per cubic meter.

Because this brand of foamed rubber has good biological and chemical resistance, it can be used in various industries. The insulation is supplied in rolls 1 m wide or tubes 200 cm long. High-temperature thermal insulation is produced with the SOLAR HT mark. It is able to withstand temperatures up to +180 degrees. This is a fairly economical way to protect the pipelines of boiler equipment, as well as hot water and heating networks.

As a conclusion

In most cases, rubber foam comes with additional accessories such as self-adhesive tapes, tees, corners, end caps, mounting pins and other items. When carrying out thermal insulation work, it is recommended to use an adhesive composition produced by the same manufacturer as the material itself in order to achieve a high-quality result. Only when absolutely necessary, third-party products should be used.