If you are running an industrial facility, then you surely need to take care of many things to ensure smooth production and operation. But there are many things that can go overlooked in industrial facilities and act as a hindrance in the overall process, insulation of pipes is one of them.
In the modern era, insulating pipes at your industrial facility has become a matter of prime importance. The industrial domain or the size of the business doesn’t matter when it comes to pipe insulation, it holds the same importance for everyone out there. Due to a lack of awareness and overwhelming amount of information online, many people are not aware of its application, working, advantages, and types. Well, this is why we have created this blog post.
So let’s break down everything that you need to know about industrial pipe insulationin a simpler way to get you familiarized with the world of pipe insulation at industrial facilities.
For saving energy
In most industrial facilities, the pipes generally work at a completely different temperature than its surroundings. Still, the rate of heat flow is directly related to the difference in temperature between the pipe and its surrounding air.
A situation can arise where the heat flow in the pipe is not up to the mark. This issue can be solved by the application of thermal pipe insulators that brings thermal resistance and reduces the heat flow. Insulation of pipes through pipe insulation companies can help you in saving energy too. An important thing to note here is that the thickness of the pipe insulation varies a lot, and it is generally influenced by the location of the pipework.
Preventing freezing of pipe
There are many industrial facilities where pipes are located outside of the premises, when the temperature falls below freezing point, water in these pipelines freeze. Since water expands when it freezes, it can cause the pipe system to fail entirely. It is a very critical issue and if not addressed in time, it can cause the system to burst.
You will not be able to completely eliminate the freezing of pipe through insulation, but you can surely extend the time considerably, which in turn will mitigate the risk of dealing with a frozen pipe. Water in smaller pipes will freeze more quickly and that’s why you will need to get them insulated first with the help of pipe insulation companies.
For controlling condensation
If the pipe system in your industrial facility is operating below the normal temperature, there is a big chance that the water vapor will start condensing on the surface of the pipe. This will lead to a buildup of moisture leading to corrosion of your pipe system.
But the simple application of insulation can prevent condensation since the insulated surfaces will be above the dew point temperature of the air.
Materials required for industrial pipe insulation
Although you should never make insulation of pipes a DIY project, especially when you are doing it for your industrial facility. Getting it done professionally will increase efficiency and yield the desired results. However, it is important to know about the materials used in the insulation of pipes to keep a check on the pipe insulation companies
Here are the materials required for industrial insulation of pipes:-
Insulation material
The materials used in insulating a pipe serve the basic purpose of thermal control in any industrial facility and help with noise reduction as well. From fiberglass to open cell foam, there are different types of insulating materials used by the companies and the right choice of material depends on the sole purpose of insulation.
Acoustical barrier
The next material used for industrial pipe insulation
is the acoustical barrier. The most famous acoustical barrier that is used by most of the mechanical insulation companies is MLV or Mass Loaded Vinyl. You should know that MLV is a high-density material and is non-toxic as well. The MLV is used by the companies in order to block the transmission of sound waves and it is available in a wide variety of facings and densities.
Protective layer
Both the pipe insulation and the MLV used can’t perform on its own and they need a protective layer that will keep it safe from the different types of hard environmental conditions. In most of the cases, a good company will use PVC, stainless steel, or aluminum as a protective layer in the pipes. These protective layers will be cut into pieces in order to fit your pipe. They are available in a wide variety of treatments and colors.
Fastening device
Cladding products are another necessary part of insulating that is used by most of the reputed mechanical insulation companies. The cladding product provides room for the expansion and contraction of the pipe, thus preventing your pipe from getting any type of damage. There are a wide variety of fastening devices used by mechanical insulation companies for holding the cladding products in its place.
Types of industrial insulation
Cellular insulation- This type of insulation includes small individual cells that are either sealed into each other or are simply interconnected for forming a complete cellular structure. The base material used in this type of insulation is basically glass, wood, or fiber and there are different types of foaming materials used.
Fibrous insulation-
This type of insulation includes small fibers that divide the air space. The mechanical insulation company can use both organic and non-organic fiber in this type of insulation. Only those materials that have more than 90% of closed-cell content are considered for this.
Flake insulation-
It includes small particles that are also known as flakes, which serve the same purpose of dividing the air space. The company can choose either to bond these flakes together or use them the other way around as well. You should know that vermiculite is a type of flake insulation.
Granular insulation-
This includes small nodules that are hollow. Sometimes, the granular insulation is considered as open-cell formation since gas can easily pass between the system. In most cases, calcium silicate is considered as granular insulation.
As you can see, there are many different types of industrial piping insulation available in the market and each one of them have their own application and purpose. But, the most important aspect is that pipe insulation is something that you can’t avoid in your industrial facility.
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