Mineral wool density: classification, advantages and disadvantages, purpose of mineral wool and application

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

Mineral wool is the most popular type of insulation for an apartment or house. Today it is used by everyone, from builders to the owner of the apartment, who wanted to insulate the room. The simplicity of its installation allows you to immediately insulate the entire house (ceiling, walls, floor). We will study the features and characteristics of the named material later in the article.

Mineral wool density

You can find out exactly this parameter before buying. Firstly, it is always written on the label, and secondly, the greater the density, the higher the price. It is worth remembering that high density is not suitable for everything, and there is no point in overpaying.

The most important characteristic of a heater is its specific gravity, the density of mineral wool is measured in kg / m3. The basis here is the number of fibers in 1 m³. Their number is calculated between 30 kg/m³ and 220 kg/m³. It all depends on the manufacturing technology.

From choosing the right insulationwill depend on the following characteristics:

• Resistance to loads.
• Retaining the shape of mineral wool.
• Insulation compression.

However, density does not affect the following material features:

• noise isolation;
• vapor permeability;
• plate thickness;
• thermal insulation.

Classification from Russian manufacturers

In the 21st century, the building materials market is overflowing with offers from various manufacturers. We will consider the density of mineral wool for insulation, using the example of Russian manufacturers.

P-75

Density – 75 kg/m³. Material in this category is used for horizontal surfaces and all those places where there is a small load on the surface. More often, this density is used in the oil and gas industries.

P-125

Density - 125 kg/m³. Good to use for ceilings, interior partitions and floors. It has high rates of both thermal insulation and sound insulation.

PJ-175

Density – 175 kg/m³. Such material has high rigidity. This is the ideal mineral wool density for concrete, metal, brick and reinforced concrete walls.

PJ-200

Density – 200 kg/m³. Has high rigidity. The properties of this mineral wool are the same as those of PZh-175. However, PJ-200 has a higher fire protection layer.

Classification of foreign manufacturers

On the market you can find completely differentmarkings - foreign:

• VL, TL - for structures with a load of not more than 8 and 12 kN/m².
• EL, ELD, ELUS - suitable for concrete structures, load not more than 5 kN/m².
• I'M, IMP - for floors and foundations.
• ALL, KKL - high rigidity material designed for heat insulation of pitched roofs.
• TCL - Designed for flat roof thermal insulation.
• VL - glass wool is similar in characteristics to AKL and KKL. It is used to give the slope of the roof.
• TCL, VUL, URL - thin insulation, used for lightweight structures, such as walls.
• LP - used between coatings of concrete, brick, metal structures.
• A, L - density is good for wall decoration.

Foreign manufacturers do not indicate the density, but only the methods of applying insulation.

Types of material

According to the manufacturing method, the following types of the described material are distinguished:

1. Glass wool. The most affordable material that is made from recycled sand, glass, lime and chemicals when heated to high temperatures. The thickness of the fibers is from 15 to 15 microns, the length is from 15 to 55 mm. The content of formaldehydes in them is quite high, because the insulation is used in the construction of warehouses, workshops and workshops.
2. Bas alt wool. It is made from gabbro-bas alt fibers - 5-15 microns in diameter, 20-30 mm long. Contains no additives - no mineral or binders.
3. Stone wool. High strength, no shrinkage. Produced from diabase and gabbro fibers, 5-12 microns in diameter, length15 mm.
4. Slagish. Produced from metallurgical production waste. When exposed to chemicals, oxidation may occur. Fiber thickness from 4 to 12 microns, length up to 16 mm. Not used for facade insulation. Pretty fragile. Protective clothing is required during installation.

Effect of density on heat conductivity

When buying insulation, builders pay little attention to the density of mineral wool, they are more interested in its characteristics. And the fact of density is important to take into account during construction. The composition of the insulation includes air in a normal or rarefied state. And the less vapor in mineral wool and the worse the insulation with air, the higher the thermal conductivity. And the greater the thermal conductivity, the less the insulation retains heat.

The higher the density of the insulation (mineral wool), the less air it contains, and, accordingly, it retains heat better. Here it is important to select the material, focusing on its purpose - to preserve heat in the room. For an attic, for example, you can take a low density.

Advantages of using material

High-density mineral wool is especially popular in the thermal insulation market. Its following advantages are distinguished:

1. Waterproof - high-quality insulation does not have the ability to be saturated with water. Vapors pass through them. Thanks to this property, dampness is not terrible for a house or apartment.
2. High thermal insulation - mineral wool, regardless of the climate, practically does not let heat through.
3. Resistance to chemicals - when interacting with them, the insulation is not destroyed.
4. High air exchange rates - the house must breathe and have a normal microclimate inside, for this mineral wool supports air circulation.
5. Fire resistance - in case of fire, the insulation does not support fire and does not emit smoke. You can use the material in any room.
6. Sound insulation - the structure of the insulation is also endowed with acoustic properties. This allows not only to insulate the house, but also to avoid the penetration of sounds from the street into the room.
7. Environmental friendliness - high-quality mineral wool does not emit harmful substances, both during long operation and when heated.
8. Service life - on average, the life of the insulation is from 25 years. It is immune to microbial growth.

Disadvantages of using material

In contrast to the advantages, the described insulation does not have so many shortcomings, and manufacturers are hard at work with them:

A lot of sharp dust - common when using glass wool and slag wool. The material is quite brittle, the dust from it is thin and sharp. Causes itching and an allergic reaction if it gets under clothing. Therefore, work is carried out only in overalls, glasses and a respirator

• Loss of quality due to getting wet. In this case, the material loses its properties, for example, thermal insulation. When slightly wet, the properties of the material deteriorate by about 10 percent.
• Phenol-formaldehyde resins - this mythwill never leave. Ecologists say that heaters are dangerous to he alth due to formaldehyde emissions. However, scientists have long proved that their content is so small that they simply cannot harm. It is worth noting that the content of formaldehyde resins is much higher in an ordinary garden tree, for which environmentalists are so zealously fighting.

Application

The density of mineral wool also determines its use in construction:

• A density of 35 kg/m³ is better for horizontal surfaces of rooms.
• For interior partitions, ceiling and internal floor, use mineral wool with a parameter of 75 kg/m³.
• For exterior decoration of the house - 125 kg/m³.
• When insulating interfloor floors, I use mineral wool with a density of 150 kg / m³, and for load-bearing structures - 175 kg / m³.
• Insulation with a density of up to 200 kg / m³ is used under a concrete screed, for a foundation or roof.

Conclusion

So, we have studied what mineral wool is. As you can see, this is a good material for insulation, which is actively used in repair and construction. But you need to be able to choose the right density. High-density cotton wool is not always suitable for a certain task and vice versa.