Dyplast updates Technical Bulletin: Mechanical Insulation for Refrigeration Applications

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 Summary: Manufacturers and suppliers of mechanical insulation and system accessories typically provide datasheets listing a host of physical properties. This Bulletin offers that the importance of thermal conductivity (k-factor[1]) and water vapor transmission (WVT[2]) of the insulant typically far outweighs the impact of other physical properties. Thus refrigeration system specifiers, engineers, procurement managers, contractors and owners should focus heavily on these two physical properties when comparing alternative insulation materials.

 In essence, compromising the k-factor of the insulant costs a lot of money via energy losses as well as process inefficiencies. Specifier/engineers and end-users should strive for a credible cost vs. benefit analysis before thermal conductivity is sacrificed for the sake of another physical property.

 Vapor barriers, on the other hand, are the first line of defense against moisture intrusion - - with the insulant as backup defense. Since there are now several suppliers offering zero-perm sheets, tapes, and mastics, specifiers and owners have no reason to compromise by selecting a vapor retarder with poorer perm ratings. The permeance of the insulant, as a backup to a damaged or a poorly-installed vapor barrier, is also a critical factor when selecting an insulant since over the life of the system it may be a lifesaver.

 Of the insulant and vapor barrier alternatives available, Dyplast’s ISO-C1^® polyisocyanurate is the obvious choice for refrigeration applications. ISO-C1’s combination of 5.7 R-factor per inch (at 75°F) and WVT permeability of 1.65 perm-in is superior to any other alternative insulant, which is each handicapped by either a lower R or a higher WVT. And for vapor barriers, DyPerm^™ Wrap and Tape offer zero-perm performance, besting the better-known alternatives.

 

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[1] Simplified, the k-factor (thermal conductivity) is the measure of heat that passes through one square foot of material that is 1 inch thick in an hour per unit temperature difference.  The lower the K value, the better the insulation. C-factor is the k-factor divided by the thickness of the insulation material. The R-factor per inch can be determined by R=1/k.  The higher the R factor, the better the insulation.

[2] The Water Vapor Transmission Rate of a material is referred to as its permeability, stated in perm-inches; independent of the materials' thickness. Dividing the permeability of a material by its thickness gives the materials' permeance, stated in perms. ASTM E96 measures a material’s rate of Water Vapor Transmission per unit area per unit of vapor pressure differential under test conditions, expressed as perm-inches (grain/hr·ft²·in Hg·in) of thickness.