Space Zoo Patrol – Insulation
By Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd, Director, Marketing and Communications, North American Insulation Manufacturers Association
Background
- What is this technology called?
Insulation for homes and buildings
- How does it work?
Insulation helps slow the transfer of heat, which can be transferred in three ways: conduction (direct touching such as when hot or cold air touches the outside of the building), convection (through movement such as wind), and radiation (through electromagnetic waves).
- Who invented it?
Fiber glass (the most common type of insulation of homes) was made by both French and German commercial producers in the early to mid-1700s. The transformation of fiber glass into a form that would be on “an everyday common usage basis” has been described as the “greatest single revolution in glass,” after windows.
- History
Glass wool was produced commercially in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It was not until World War II that insulation and its benefits garnered the support of the U.S. government in a campaign to save energy through insulation. With the recognition of the energy savings provided by insulation, the product became a prominent commercial commodity. The government urged homeowners to insulate: “If you are living in an uninsulated house, fill the empty spaces in your walls and ceiling with insulation. . . If you haven’t the ready cash, a loan for the improvement is easy to obtain (the FHA will insure loans for insulating houses, old or new).” During the drive for improved energy efficiency fiber glass established itself as the leading insulation material in the United States.
Advantages
- What are the environmental advantages?
Because fiberglass insulation’s use helps make buildings more energy efficient, it can reduce carbon emissions from buildings because it means those buildings require less energy to heat and cool.
- What are the life cycle financial advantages?
A properly insulated building is one that will save its owners money because it will require less energy to heat and cool.
- What jobs are created?
The insulation industry employs an estimated 400,000 jobs in the United States in every area from manufacturing to installation.
Energy Conservation
- How efficient is this technology?
The efficiency for insulation is measured by its R-value (resistance to heat flow). The higher the R-value the greater the insulating power.
- How many units are needed for 1 house, 1 school, 1 community?
This varies depending on the size of the building and the energy code requirements of the jurisdiction where the building is located.
- What percentage of the total population uses this technology today?
It’s estimated that up to 80% of U.S. homes have insulation. The U. S. and northern Europe have the highest percentage of homes insulated. Much of the world’s homes are uninsulated.
- What percentage of total population in the US and the world could use this technology?
100%
- What geographical areas can this be used in?
Every geographic area.
Engineering / Mechanical
- How is it manufactured?
Fiber glass is made from sand (silicon dioxide, SiO2), glass cullet (recycled glass), soda ash, limestone, and borax.
During the production of glass wool by the rotary process (the most common method used for fiber glass insulation production), raw materials (as described above) are blended and melted in furnaces, or in some cases, electric steel-shelled melters. The heat from the furnace converts these raw materials into a homogenous molten liquid. Melting of the glass and its forming into a fiber consists of two distinct stages. The first involves the chemical reaction between the ingredients and results in a sticky molten mass of glass that occurs at temperatures on the order of 1650°C.
In the second stage, the glass is cooled until it has the required viscosity (thickness) for fiberization. The molten glass flows from the furnace through the channel to the forehearth (end of the furnace), where, after losing the required amount of heat, the glass drains into spinners that fiberize (spin into fine threads) the glass. The fibers are collected on a conveyor and a blanket of glass wool is formed. The blanket is conveyed to an oven where the binder is cured/dried. The blanket exits the oven, is cut into desired sizes, and packaged for shipment to customers.
- Where is it manufactured?
In many states throughout the U.S.
- What maintenance is required?
No maintenance is required for fiberglass insulation.
- What classes should I take in school to work on this technology?
Science classes such as chemistry and physics. The industry is always looking for ways to make insulation better, cheaper, and easier to install.
Pictures
Infrared picture of roof BEFORE and AFTER insulation showing no heat migration
