What is High Temperature Insulation?
What is high temperature insulation? High temperature insulation is an insulating substance that protects from extremely high temperatures and is used in manufacturing, cars, electrical appliances, and tooling, amongst other things.
Many different industries rely on high temperature insulation to carry out essential processes, manufacture products and components, and ensure optimum, economic performance.
Insulation is vital for preventing the transfer of heat. By doing this, it reduces the amount of energy that is needed to raise temperatures, and it protects that are adjacent to the heat source from damage.
High temperature insulation products have several important features:
- They require low thermal conductivity, which means heat transfers at a lower rate
- They also need surface emissivity, so that they are effective at emitting energy as thermal radiation
- They must have a higher specific heat capacity, to ensure they take more time to absorb heat, before heating up and transferring it.
There are various high temperature insulation products used in industrial applications, including ceramic fibre and calcium silicate. At Elmelin, we specialise in mica, mica-based products and in microporous high temperature insulation materials, offering innovative insulation solutions.
Mica Insulation
Mica minerals have natural properties that make them well-suited to various insulation applications. Mica cleaves naturally into sheet form, and these thin sheets are both lightweight and resilient.
They remain stable in demanding conditions and environments, being resistant to high temperatures, electricity, moisture and light.
Mica is therefore a versatile insulating material. It is found in the foundry and steel industry, in consumer appliances, and in other key sectors including automotive, aerospace, military and power electronics.
You will find mica in power cables, blast furnaces, fire and security alarm systems, heaters and boilers.
Microporous Technology
Elmelin specialises in the manufacture and supply of high temperature insulation products. Our Elmtherm range of microporous insulation sheets provides lightweight, space saving insulation solutions.
We manufacture these sheets using separation technology: where small particles of silica are dispersed within a material, creating micro-pores. This minimises contact between molecules and therefore reduces conductivity through energy transfer.
As well as being effective in insulating against conductive heat, microporous sheets also reduce convective and radiant heat, because their microporous structure creates trapped air pockets to prevent the free pathway of air, and incorporates opacifiers.
High Temperature Insulation Solutions for Sectors
Mica and microporous technology provide insulation solutions across a broad spectrum of sectors. In certain areas of activity, such as continuous process industries, the foundry and steel sector and power electronics, the relationships between processes and insulation are long-established.
However, for new industries and products, the demand for high temperature insulation is enduring, and the materials we develop, process and manufacture, are both versatile and adaptable to a whole variety of settings, functions and situations.
Because mica is so adaptable, it is not always recognisable as performing the essential functions it does. In industrial tooling, for example, mica can be machine cut, punched and stamped into shapes specifically for key processes.
It is also used as an insulating element in great many commonplace appliances, including heat guns, hairdryers and heaters.
Insulation for Foundry Processes
Foundries rely on being able to maintain consistently high processing temperatures when producing metal castings.
For this kind of essential insulation, mica is ideal. Mica sheet has superior slip-pane qualities, which means it can extend the lifecycle of furnace linings significantly. It speeds up the whole relining process and reduces downtime in foundries, thereby helping to boost efficiency and productivity.
Rigid mica sheets are also ideal for insulating foundry surfaces.
Another or our thermal management solutions for foundries is our Elmtherm microporous insulation material.
When used to line ladles, Elmtherm helps them improve their capacity, holding molten metal up to temperatures of 1650°C, increasing ladle volume by 10%, while offering improvements in energy efficiency of around 50%.
Transportation and Insulation
For the automotive and aerospace industries, insulation is critical. The excellent dielectric properties of mica mean that it is the perfect material for heat shields, and for providing battery insulation.
Mica can be used in essential motoring components such as thermal gaskets, starters and alternators.
In aircraft, it provides a fire-proof and heat resistant covering for interiors and exteriors, and being lightweight, it can offer high protection without affecting airborne performance.
Mica helps protect flight recorders and other data recorders, used in aviation and by the military.
Continuous Processes and Power Electronics
Pipes require high temperature insulation in the petrochemical, cement and glass industries. For these sectors involved in continuous processes, they are continually striving to bring down emissions while improving their efficiency and productivity.
Consequently, where specific temperature-controlled processes come into play, mica’s insulating qualities make a crucial contribution. As a high temperature insulator, mica helps these industries improve what they do and maintain their competitiveness.
In power electronics, mica supports the ongoing progression towards greater integration of functions, including the increase of smart products with sophisticated electronic interfaces.
Insulation is a key requirement to ensure products and processes involving electronics are highly functional, safe and reliable. Mica’s natural dielectric strength and heat resistance make it the right choice.
Do You Need High Temperature Insulation?
We provide versatile solutions across sectors. We offer expert support, including bespoke applications and prototyping.
Please call us on +44 20 8520 2248, or email sales@elmelin.com. You can also complete our enquiry form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.