How do foam rubber products achieve insulation and heat preservation?
How do foam rubber products achieve insulation and heat preservation?
The Thermal Insulation and Energy-Saving Principles of foam rubber Products
The thermal insulation and energy-saving effect of foam rubber products primarily relies on their material structure, heat transfer barrier mechanisms, and physical-chemical properties, achieved by suppressing heat conduction, convection, and radiation.
Additional Insulation & Energy-Saving Advantages of Foam rubber Products
- Water/Moisture Resistance & Thermal Stability: The closed-cell structure not only blocks air but also prevents moisture penetration (water absorption rate ≤0.3%). This is crucial as absorption significantly increases thermal conductivity (water's conductivity is over 20 times higher than air's). For instance, in humid environments, foam rubber insulation maintains long-term thermal performance.
- Aging Resistance: Foam rubber materials resist degradation factors like ozone and UV radiation, ensuring minimal structural breakdown or performance degradation over prolonged use.
- Flexibility & Elimination of Thermal Bridges: Their flexibility enables coverage of complex shapes (e.g., valves, elbows), avoiding thermal bridges common with rigid insulation due to joints or poor shape matching. Thermal bridges can increase heat loss by 20%-40%.
- Radiation Barrier: Low emissivity surface treatments (emissivity <0.03) effectively inhibit radiative heat transfer, particularly critical for high-temperature insulation.
Typical Application Scenarios and Logic
- Building HVAC: Insulating piping reduces the loss of heated/cooled water during transport through low thermal conductivity and closed-cell structure.
- Industrial Equipment Insulation: Wrapping steam pipes, reactors, etc., prevents heat dissipation from equipment to surroundings, simultaneously improving safety by preventing personnel contact burns.
- Cold Chain Logistics: Used in cold storage walls and vehicle body insulation, foam rubber leverages its low thermal conductivity and sealing properties to minimize ambient heat ingress, reducing refrigeration energy consumption.
- New Energy Sector: Insulating wind turbine cables and PV inverters utilizes the weather resistance of foam rubber to withstand outdoor environmental exposure, maintaining stable insulation performance and reducing equipment failures caused by temperature fluctuations.
The essence of thermal insulation and energy saving in foam rubber products lies in a multi-faceted approach combining "optimized material molecular structure + closed-cell physical barrier + surface radiation control." This comprehensively inhibits all modes of heat transfer. Their advantage extends beyond efficient insulation; properties like water resistance, weather resistance, and flexibility ensure long-term, stable energy savings, making them particularly suitable for applications demanding ease of installation and high environmental adaptability.
