Since numerous industrial processes involve withstanding high temperatures, choosing the optimum insulation materials is essential to mitigate energy loss, corrosion, or material wear. As such, the proper selection and application of thermal insulation materials is of the utmost importance when it comes to offering appropriate protection at operating temperatures, as well as addressing other factors.
Finding the most suitable application to withstand elevated temperatures involves a range of factors to consider before choosing the one that best suits your needs, and in this article we will address the most important ones you must consider to arrive at the best decision.
How to determine if you need a high temperature insulation solution
In an industrial environment where high temperatures are involved, energy loss, corrosion, or high noise levels indicate that a thermal insulation material might be necessary.
If any of these variables sounds familiar to you and, in addition, you have also detected heat spikes in your equipment, your machinery, or within a specific process, we recommend:
- Identifying where the excess heat is being generated.
- Checking if the affected area has thermal insulation and/or is in good condition.
- Measuring the temperature to which this hot spot rises.
Once these conditions have been determined, a proper diagnosis can be initiated to decide the most appropriate insulating product type. However, remember that it is vital to have good background knowledge about the manufacture of your machinery, your equipment, and the installation.
Do you need to insulate a part of your equipment or process? Contact us today.
The process of choosing a thermal insulation material
If you have already detected a potential insulation problem, we recommend that you collect the following information so that it’s possible to receive a quote from a provider:
- Temperature. That is, what temperature is being reached during a particular process, or is observed at an equipment hot spot.
- Use restrictions. For example, instances where ceramic fiber won’t work as efficiently as other materials, or there exists some other physical limitation determined by both the process and the equipment.
- Environmental factors. A reduction atmosphere, for instance.
- Design or configuration of the process or equipment. This includes plans, photos, and samples, so that the engineering team can better understand the process.
Pro tip 1: the more information you can provide in the initial stages, the more accurate the insulation proposal can be, based on your specific needs.