Research and development,
R&D, offers businesses a means to grow and thrive by focusing on
innovation. This can be about improving processes, developing or refining
products, or a combination of all these things.
The UK Government
recognises the intrinsic value of R&D for businesses, and consequently it
provides tax relief and tax credits for certain types of revenue expenditure
connected to research and development.
As specialists in high
temperature insulation and thermal management products and solutions, Elmelin
recognises the value of R&D for our varied client-base. We also understand
that sometimes the whole issue of R&D costs, and what businesses can claim,
can be complex.
Here is a brief guide to give
you more clarity about R&D.
Simply following change is
not a realistic option for many businesses, if they are to stay competitive.
Instead they must be at the forefront of change, and the means to do this is by
developing research and development strategies that work.
At Elmelin, we understand
that quality solutions to different aspects of high temperature insulation and thermal management, require a demanding quality management system. Our customers
in a wide variety of industries depend on us, which is why we prioritise
processes that adhere to ISO 9001 criteria. ISO 9001 is more than just a
standard. It is about taking a strategic approach to what we do, to ensure we
are delivering what our customers require, regardless of their sector or
industry or the product they require.
Fire protection is an inherent requirement in many industries, and it is essential for the safety of buildings. For most of the twentieth century, a major solution to fire protection and safety was asbestos. Asbestos was very much seen as a wonder mineral. Unfortunately, while this material can offer heat resistance up to 800°C, it is also potentially lethal to humans. But asbestos alternatives exist.
Consequently, the same
industries, and more, which were once dependent on asbestos for fire protection
and fire resistance are now having to find safe asbestos alternatives.
As specialists in fire protection, Elmelin provides specialist alternatives to asbestos, using
products based on mica and microporous technology.
Why Asbestos is Lethal
HSE points out that asbestos kills around 5,000 workers each year in the UK. When materials containing asbestos are disturbed or damaged, they release fibres into the air. If inhaled, these fibres can cause diseases which can be fatal.
The effects are not
immediate, as these diseases take time to develop. However, once they are
diagnosed, it is usually too late to do anything about them.
The diseases that
asbestos can cause are:
–Mesothelioma – a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and is almost always fatal
–Asbestosis – a scarring condition of the lung, which causes shortness of breath and can be life-threatening
–Asbestos-related lung cancer – the same as lung cancer caused by smoking
–Pleural thickening – the lining of the lung swells and thickens, usually occurring following heavy asbestos exposure.
The problem is that
asbestos is found in a great many places, including industrial, commercial and
residential properties. It has been commonly used as an insulating material, has
also been included in the manufacture of ceiling tiles, textured coatings,
corrugated cement sheets, floor tiles and pipework. Asbestos is also sometimes
present in brake pads, gaskets, electrical wire insulation and furnaces.
Asbestos is versatile,
which has contributed to its widespread use. While its raw fibres are silk-like
in their softness, manufacturing processes can also produce asbestos that is
rock-solid.
Anyone working with
asbestos should take the necessary precaution to protect themselves, but the
best precaution of all is to find a safe asbestos alternative.
Asbestos Alternatives
Various new technologies
have emerged in the wake of the growing awareness of the risks associated with
asbestos. These include: polyurethane foams; flour fillers; thermoset plastic
flour; cellulose fibres; and amorphous silica fabrics.
Asbestos itself had so
much of a universal application that it has proved impossible to find a single
substitute. However, some asbestos alternatives are more versatile than others.
One solution for high
temperature insulation that, like asbestos, is mineral-based and has a wide
variety of uses, is mica. Unlike asbestos, mica is safe.
Mica is a rock-forming
silicate material and used with microporous technology, it provides a broad
range of insulation and fire protection solutions across many different sectors
and industries.
Like asbestos before it,
mica can be used in various densities, from thin but durable sheets to cut shapes for tooling applications and
manufactured components.
High Temperature Insulation
Microporous materials
containing mica are effective in high temperature insulation for different
industries, including foundry and steel, continuous processing and transport.
Here, there is an ongoing
requirement for heat resistant materials for insulation and specialist
functions such as heat shields. Mica and microporous insulation materials offer
all the benefits of asbestos with none of the risks.
Fire safety in industry
cuts across sectors, and requires solutions that are highly functional and
adaptable.
In many instances, people
will come into close contact with high temperature insulation materials as part
of their daily working lives, so providing a safe but technically viable
asbestos alternative is a fundamental requirement for safety in the workplace.
Fire Protection
Traditionally, asbestos
has been widely used in construction as an essential component in ensuring
building have the right degree of fire protection.
This has, in effect, turned
asbestos into a hidden threat, with it being used in so many different
construction materials.
One aspect of fire safety
in buildings is passive fire protection. This involves measures designed to
contain a blaze and stop it from spreading throughout a structure.
Microporous technology
now provides linings for fire doors and lift doors, to help with passive fire
protection measures. These insulation boards are thin but hardwearing, and
offer excellent resistance to fire and heat.
Fire safety is a continual
requirement for a great many industries. These industries can no longer rely on
asbestos as a solution. What they can do, however, is explore the versatility
of mica, mica-based products and microporous technology as contemporary
solutions to fire protection, insulation and fire safety.
Are You Looking for Asbestos Alternatives?
Elmelin specialises in
providing manufactured solutions for
high temperature insulation, thermal control, heat resistance and fire
protection. We provide both off-the-shelf and bespoke solutions, depending on
your needs.
Please call us on +44 20 8520 2248, email sales@elmelin.com, or complete our online enquiry form. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Elmtherm is a range
innovative high temperature insulation products,
based on microporous technology. Designed to perform consistently at a peak
level of excellence, Elmtherm has several applications across different
industries, including foundry and
steel, aerospace, petrochemical
and fire protection.
This microporous material
is durable with superior thermal insulation characteristics. It is used
primarily as a lining material, protecting products, equipment and technology
from heat incursion, and so ensuring their safety.
How Microporous Technology Works
The technology
underpinning Elmtherm is separation technology. This involves small particles
of silica, dispersed through an area, to the extent that they create small
openings, or micro-pores. These micro-pores have tiny diameters of less than
two nm, or nanometres.
When combined, these
micro-pores create molecular sieve membrane. This sheet has a low density but
an extremely effective porous structure.
What does this mean in
practice?
Used in high temperature
insulation, microporous material blocks conductive, convective and radiant
forms of heat transfer.
Microporous technology
restricts conductive heat transfer through minimising the contact between
molecules, impeding their ability to transfer energy, from one molecule to
another.
The structure of
microporous sheets also creates pockets of trapped air which stop the free
pathway of air, thereby containing convective heat transfer. This means there
is limited or no heat transmitting through the microporous material.
For combatting heat transfer
from radiation, microporous material has infrared opacifiers loaded into it to
reduce the occurrence of radiant heat transfer. These added substances help
make the material impervious to light-generated heat.
Elmtherm is highly energy
efficient, helping reduce operating costs in the industries in which it is
applied, while ensuring good temperature control through its excellent thermal
stability.
Where there are issues to
do with consistency and safety in performance, Elmtherm can help.
Microporous Product Grades
Elmelin produces four
different grades of Elmtherm microporous material for high temperature
insulation.
Each of these grades
comes in a different ranges of thickness, which determine their heat transfer
capabilities.
Elmtherm 1000 and 1100
are microporous in composition and can withstand maximum temperatures of
1,000°C and 1,100°C respectively. They come in thicknesses of between 3mm and
50mm.
Elmtherm 1400 and 1600
grades combine microporous materials with ceramics to form effective heat
shields, designed to withstand temperatures of up to 1,400°C and 1,600°C
respectively. Thickness for these grades depends on their specific application.
Applying Elmtherm Across Industries
High temperature
insulation is an essential requirement across different industries and sectors,
but microporous technology is proving to be a widely applicable, adaptable and
highly effective solution.
The low thickness but
high strength of Elmtherm make it well-suited for applications where safety,
efficiency and energy saving are all key requirements.
Low weight combined with
high compression strength means microporous solutions can both protect
equipment and other materials while ensuring peak performance.
Elmtherm for Foundries
Elmtherm lines ladles in foundries, ensuring that they can safely hold molten metal at intense temperatures. This type of lining increases the capacity of ladles by 10% while having a positive impact on energy conservation, offering improvements in this area of around 50%.
For furnaces, Elmtherm
helps with even heat distribution, and also protects against heat loss, to the
tune of 30%. At the same time, because of its thinness, it is a more efficient
insulator than other, alternative board materials.
In aluminium launder
systems, Elmtherm contributes to the speed and efficiency of the casting
process, where speedy transfers between furnaces are critically important. Elmtherm
optimises the movement of molten aluminium between smelting and casting
processes, saving on heat and time.
Elmtherm is also used to
line tundishes, to assist in continuous casting operations; and is also found
in kilns and rotary kilns.
Aerospace Applications for Elmtherm
Microporous insulation is
an industry standard for aircraft, when it comes to ensuring the lowest
possible thermal conductivity and keeping things as lightweight as possible.
Elmtherm provides
essential thermal protection for aircraft auxiliary power units and flight data
recorders. It also provides heat shield material for thrust reversers, and
flexible insulation inside aircraft engines.
In the form of panels, it
can also insulate galley ovens on aircraft, as well as providing wings with
fire protection.
Protecting Process Piping
For pipeline materials in
the petrochemical and other industries, protection against extreme heat and
fire is vital, as process piping is inevitably going to involve highly
inflammable materials.
Because it is lightweight
and flexible, but also very strong, Elmtherm is an ideal lining solution for
process pipework. It is used in power plants, the petrochemical and cement and
glass industries.
Microporous Fire Protection
With fire and elevator
doors playing essential, strategic roles in passive fire resistance, ensuring
they are as fire-proof as possible is essential.
Elmtherm has proved ideal
for this form of insulation, being lightweight but highly fire-resistant, and
easily adaptable to a range of situations and locations.
These microporous
insulation boards are a safe, modern alternative to asbestos, opening up new
possibilities for high performance, high temperature insulation in buildings
management and safety.
What Insulation Solutions are You Looking For?
Elmelin’s Elmtherm range
of microporous high temperature insulation solutions is highly adaptable across
a very broad spectrum of industries and sectors. We have only touched on a few
key examples here.
Discover more about
Elmtherm and how it could benefit your business and your industry by calling us
on +44 20 8520 2248. Alternatively, please email sales@elmelin.com,
or complete our online enquiry form.
We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Mica components are one of the many ways in which we
can harness mica’s natural heat resistant and dielectric properties to serve a
whole range of industries. Mica has a
natural, structural stability, making it an ideal manufacturing solution when
it comes to producing heat resistant gaskets and washers, along with other
vital components.
As a supremely versatile material, mica comes in a variety of forms, suitable for different applications, across a diverse range of industries. Elmelin’s range of mica products reflects this versatility. Mica tube is one such product, and in fact mica tubes themselves have many different uses and come in various shapes and grades.
Mica is a naturally
occurring mineral and there are 37 varieties. However, the two we work with are
phlogopite, or green, and muscovite, or white, mica.
These two forms of mica
come in sheet form, in
two grades, MFSSP (phlogopite) and MFSSM (muscovite). Each of these two forms
of mica has qualities that make it suitable for different applications, used by
a broad range of industries.
Our phlogopite and
muscovite mica sheets are available in flexible or rigid grades, depending on
their required use.
In coreless induction furnaces, it is vital that the coil responsible for the melting process can work as effectively and efficiently as possible, with a minimum risk of disruption. Protecting furnace coils is essential.
Depending on the type of metals they are melting, coreless induction furnaces can be at risk from materials penetrating the layer of grout surrounding the coil and damaging the coil itself.
Elmelin has developed furnace safety systems, protecting furnace coils by giving an early warning where there is a risk of damage to the coil grout. These products are laminates that line the furnace, combining mica with innovative technology.
These furnace systems are Elmesh and Vapourshield.
