I BEEP NTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE N 2016 OVEMBER Building Insulation Materials and Their Applications © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 1 Thermal Insulating Materials • A material that restricts the transfer of heat. • In buildings, material that restricts the heat transfer better than structure materials © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 2 Heat Transfer Modes Heat = random vibration of atoms/molecules  Conduction: direct transfer of the thermal movements from atom to atom or molecule to molecule • Convection: transport of heat in moving warm fluids  Radiation: agitated, charged atoms or molecules emit electromagnetic radiation, which in turn agitate quieter charged atoms or molecules  Evaporation- condensation: the heat needed to evaporate a liquid is recovered where this vapour condenses. © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 3 The main thermal insulating material in buildings is Locked Air Air is a poor thermal conductor  Air is locked in foam bubbles or between fibres  Bubbles walls and fibres are themselves  opaque to thermal radiation. 5 © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 Mineral Fibres © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 6 Organic Fibres Hemp fibres Cellulose Durian skin Wool © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 7 Wood Fibre and Straw © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 8 Foamglass © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 9 Pumice: A Natural Inorganic Foam © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2015 10 Cork © Claude-A. Roulet, Apples, 2016 11