Thermal conductivity of building materials: which material is the most energy efficient

The leading trends in modern construction are the construction of houses with maximum energy efficiency. That is, with the ability to create and maintain comfortable living conditions with minimal energy costs. It is clear that many of our builders, who are constructing their residential properties on their own, are still far from achieving such indicators, but it is always necessary to strive for this.

Thermal conductivity of building materials

First of all, this concerns minimizing heat losses through building structures. This reduction is achieved by effective thermal insulation, performed on the basis of thermal engineering calculations. Design should ideally be carried out by specialists, but often circumstances force homeowners to take such matters into their own hands. This means that it is necessary to have a general understanding of the basic concepts of building heating engineering. First of all, what is the thermal conductivity of building materials, how is it measured, and how is it calculated.

If you understand these “basics”, then it will be easier to seriously, with knowledge of the matter, and not on a whim, to deal with the issues of insulating your home.

Specific heat capacity of materials

Heat capacity is a physical quantity that describes the ability of a material to accumulate temperature from a heated environment. Quantitatively, specific heat capacity is equal to the amount of energy, measured in J, required to heat a body weighing 1 kg by 1 degree. Below is a table of the specific heat capacity of the most common materials in construction.

In order to calculate the heat capacity of a particular material, you must have the following data:

• type and volume of heated material (V);
• the specific heat capacity of this material (Sud);
• specific gravity (msp);
• initial and final temperatures of the material.

Thermal storage capacity of materials

The heat storage capacity of materials, that is, the ability of a material to retain heat, is estimated by specific heat capacity, i.e. the amount of heat (in kJ) required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of material by one degree. For example, water has a specific heat capacity of 4.19 kJ/(kg*K). This means, for example, that to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1°K, 4.19 kJ is required.

Table 1. Comparison of some heat storage materials

Heat capacity of building materials

The heat capacity of materials, the table for which is given above, depends on the density and thermal conductivity of the material.

And the thermal conductivity coefficient, in turn, depends on the size and closedness of the pores. A fine-porous material, which has a closed pore system, has greater thermal insulation and, accordingly, lower thermal conductivity than a large-porous one.

This is very easy to see using the most common materials in construction as an example. The figure below shows how the thermal conductivity coefficient and the thickness of the material influence the thermal insulation qualities of external fences.

The figure shows that building materials with lower density have a lower thermal conductivity coefficient. However, this is not always the case. For example, there are fibrous types of thermal insulation for which the opposite pattern applies: the lower the density of the material, the higher the thermal conductivity coefficient will be.

Therefore, you cannot rely solely on the indicator of the relative density of the material, but it is worth taking into account its other characteristics.

What is thermal conductivity, what units of measurement is it described?

If we do not consider any theoretical conditions, then in reality all physical bodies, liquids or gases have the ability to transfer heat. In other words, to make it clearer, if an object begins to be heated from one side, it becomes a conductor of heat, heating itself and transferring thermal energy further. The same applies to cooling, only with the opposite sign.

Even at a simple everyday level, everyone understands that this ability is expressed in different materials to very different degrees. For example, it is one thing to stir a boiling dish being cooked on the stove with a wooden spatula, and quite another with a metal spoon, which will almost instantly heat up to such a temperature that it will be impossible to hold it in your hands. This example clearly shows that the thermal conductivity of metal is many times higher than that of wood.

A “practical application” of the huge difference in thermal conductivity of materials is a cork slipped under the bracket of a metal pan lid. You can remove such a lid from a pot boiling on the stove with your bare fingers without fear of burns.

And there are a lot of such examples, literally at every step. For example, touch your hand to an ordinary wooden door in a room and to the metal handle screwed on it. It feels like the handle is colder. But this cannot be - all objects in the room have approximately the same temperature. It’s just that the metal of the handle absorbed body heat faster, which caused the feeling of a colder surface.

Thermal conductivity coefficient of the material

Expert opinion: Afanasyev E.V.

Chief editor of the Stroyday.ru project. Engineer.

There is a special unit that characterizes any material as a conductor of heat. It is called the thermal conductivity coefficient, usually denoted by the Greek letter λ , and is measured in W/(m×℃). (In many formulas, instead of degrees Celsius ℃, degrees Kelvin, K , but this does not change the essence).

This coefficient shows the ability of a material to transfer a certain amount of heat over a certain distance per unit of time. Moreover, this indicator characterizes the material itself, that is, without reference to any dimensions.

Such coefficients are calculated for almost any building and other materials. Below in this publication are tables for various groups - mortars, concrete, brick and stone masonry, insulation, wood, metals, etc. Even a quick glance at them is enough to see how different these coefficients can be.

Very often, manufacturers of building materials for one purpose or another indicate the thermal conductivity coefficient in a series of passport characteristics.

Materials that are characterized by high heat conductivity, for example, metals, are often used as heat sinks or heat exchangers. A classic example is heating radiators, in which the better their walls transfer heat from the coolant, the more efficient their operation.

But for most building materials the situation is the opposite. That is, the lower the thermal conductivity coefficient of the material from which the conditional wall is built, the less heat the building will lose with the arrival of cold weather. Or, the smaller the wall thickness can be made with the same thermal conductivity.

Both the title picture for the article and the illustration below show very clear diagrams of how the thickness of a wall made of different materials will differ with equal ability to retain heat in the house. Comments are probably not needed.

The same thermal insulation ability - and completely different thicknesses. A good example is the difference in thermal conductivity.

Reference literature often indicates not one value of the thermal conductivity coefficient for a material, but three. (And sometimes even more, since this coefficient can change with temperature). And this is correct, since the thermal conductivity properties are also affected by operating conditions. And first of all – humidity.

This is typical of most materials - when saturated with moisture, the thermal conductivity coefficient increases. And if the goal is to perform calculations as accurately as possible, with reference to real operating conditions, then it is recommended not to neglect this difference.

So, the coefficient can be given as a calculated one, that is, for completely dry material and laboratory conditions. But for real calculations they take it either for operating mode A or for mode B.

These regimes are consolidated from the climatic characteristics of the region and from the operating characteristics of a particular building (premises).

The type of your climate zone based on humidity level can be determined using the proposed diagram map:

Climatic zones of the territory of Russia according to humidity level: 1 – humid; 2 – normal; 3 – dry.

Features of the humidity conditions of the premises are determined according to the following table:

Table for determining the humidity conditions of rooms

Speaking of humidity!..

Do you have a good idea of ​​what relative air humidity is? And what should it be like in rooms to maintain a comfortable microclimate? If this is not clear, welcome to a special publication on our portal dedicated to instruments for measuring relative humidity .

So, having the data from the schematic map and table, you can use the second table to decide on the choice of mode A or B , on which the actual value of the thermal conductivity coefficient will depend.

Table for selecting the operating mode of enclosing structures

It is in this mode that the thermal conductivity coefficient closest to reality is selected from the tabular data.

The tables will be given below, under the theoretical part.

Heat transfer resistance

Expert opinion: Afanasyev E.V.

Chief editor of the Stroyday.ru project. Engineer.

So, the thermal conductivity coefficient characterizes the material itself. But from a practical point of view, it is probably more important to have some kind of value that will describe the thermal conductivity of a particular structure. That is, taking into account the features of its structure and size.

There is such a unit of measurement, and it is called heat transfer resistance. It can be considered the reciprocal of the thermal conductivity coefficient, while taking into account the thickness of the material.

Heat transfer resistance (or, as it is often called, thermal resistance) is denoted by the Latin letter R. If you “dance” from the thermal conductivity coefficient, then it is determined by the following formula.

R = h/ λ

Where:

R —heat transfer resistance of a single-layer homogeneous enclosing structure, m²×℃/W;

h is the thickness of this layer, expressed in meters;

λ is the thermal conductivity coefficient of the material from which this enclosing structure is made, W/(m×℃).

Multilayer structures are often used in construction. Including one of the layers is often an insulating material with a very low thermal conductivity coefficient - specifically to maximize the value of thermal resistance. The fact is that the total value is summed up from the resistances of all layers that make up the enclosing structure. And to them is added the resistance of the border layers of air on the external and internal surfaces of the structure.

The formula for the resistance of a partition with n-layers will be as follows:

Rsum = R₁ + R₂ + …+Rn + Rai + Rao

Where:

Rsum is the total thermal resistance of the enclosing structure;

R₁ … Rn – layer resistances, from 1 to n;

Rai is the resistance of the wall layer of air inside;

Rao is the resistance of the wall air layer outside.

For each layer, the resistance is calculated separately, based on the thermal conductivity of the material and thickness.

There is a special method for calculating the coefficients of air gaps along the wall outside and inside. But for simplified calculations, they can be taken to be equal to a total of 0.16 m²×℃/W - there will not be a large error.

By the way, if the design of the partition includes an air cavity that does not communicate with the outside air, then it also provides a significant addition to the overall heat transfer resistance. The heat transfer resistance values ​​of insulated air layers are shown in the table below:

Table of thermal resistances of closed air layers

Tables of thermal conductivity coefficients of various groups of building materials

Table of thermal conductivity coefficients of brickwork and stone wall cladding

Table of thermal conductivity coefficients of concrete of various types

Table of thermal conductivity coefficients of mortars based on cement, lime, and gypsum

Table of thermal conductivity coefficients of wood, wood-based products, and other natural materials

Table of thermal conductivity coefficients of materials used for thermal insulation purposes

Table of thermal conductivity coefficients of roofing, waterproofing, cladding, roll and self-leveling floor coverings

Table of thermal conductivity coefficients of metals and glass

Nowadays, mainly synthetic materials are used to insulate various buildings. They have excellent characteristics and, for the most part, are very easy to install.

Based on the values ​​in the tables above, one of the most energy-efficient synthetic insulation materials is the PIR board. With a density of only 35 kg/m³, its thermal conductivity coefficient averages 0.024 W/m*K. But it may be less depending on the PIR board production technology of a particular manufacturer.

Comparison of thermal conductivity of PIR boards and other materials

For example, LOGICPIR PIR boards from the Russian manufacturer TECHNONICOL have a thermal conductivity of only 0.022 W/m*K. Why does the value drop so much? The fact is that this type of insulation has a foil layer on both sides. Foil, as you know, is itself capable of perfectly reflecting thermal energy in the opposite direction, that is, into the room. Thanks to this property, the energy efficiency of the material increases, and heat loss in the house is reduced. Thus, PIR insulation, which has such a layer on one side and the other, performs its functions much better than, for example, PIR material with a paper technological coating.

In general, LOGICPIR is a regular PIR board, which is a porous material with many microcells filled with air. It is very thin (thickness varies between 2-5 cm), lightweight, does not load building structures, but is strong and dense enough to withstand some physical impacts. Inert to chemical influences, biologically stable and, in addition, not prone to fire.

TECHNONICOL PIR board

During operation (and the service life of LOGICPIR PIR boards is 50 years), the material does not lose its properties. Its thermal conductivity coefficient does not change even when wet: the insulation itself does not absorb water. Additional vapor protection is provided by the same foil layer - if, when installing the slabs, all joints are glued with aluminum tape, then a continuous layer of vapor barrier is formed that does not allow moisture to pass through. In a word, this is a good option for synthetic insulation with some of the highest characteristics.

Video: Insulation of a frame house with PIR plates

Comparative characteristics of the heat capacity of basic building materials

In order to compare the heat capacity of the most popular building materials, such as wood, brick and concrete, it is necessary to calculate the heat capacity for each of them.

First of all, you need to decide on the specific gravity of wood, brick and concrete. It is known that 1 m3 of wood weighs 500 kg, brick - 1700 kg, and concrete - 2300 kg. If we take a wall whose thickness is 35 cm, then through simple calculations we find that the specific gravity of 1 square meter of wood will be 175 kg, brick - 595 kg, and concrete - 805 kg. Next, we will select the temperature value at which thermal energy will accumulate in the walls. For example, this will happen on a hot summer day with an air temperature of 270C. For the selected conditions, we calculate the heat capacity of the selected materials:

1. Wall made of wood: C=SudhmuddhΔT; Sder=2.3x175x27=10867.5 (kJ);
2. Concrete wall: C=SudhmuddhΔT; Cbet = 0.84x805x27 = 18257.4 (kJ);
3. Brick wall: C=SudhmuddhΔT; Skirp = 0.88x595x27 = 14137.2 (kJ).

From the calculations made, it is clear that with the same wall thickness, concrete has the highest heat capacity, and wood has the least. What does this mean? This suggests that on a hot summer day, the maximum amount of heat will accumulate in a house made of concrete, and the least amount of heat will accumulate in a house made of concrete.

This explains the fact that in a wooden house it is cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. Brick and concrete easily accumulate a fairly large amount of heat from the environment, but just as easily part with it.

Using heat capacity in practice

Table of heat capacity of building materials.

Building materials with high heat capacity are used for the construction of heat-resistant structures. This is very important for private houses in which people live permanently. The fact is that such structures allow you to store (accumulate) heat, thanks to which the house maintains a comfortable temperature for quite a long time. First, the heating device heats the air and the walls, after which the walls themselves warm the air. This allows you to save money on heating and make your stay more comfortable. For a house in which people live periodically (for example, on weekends), the high thermal capacity of the building material will have the opposite effect: such a building will be quite difficult to heat quickly.

The heat capacity values ​​of building materials are given in SNiP II-3-79. Below is a table of the main building materials and their specific heat capacity values.

Table 1

Brick has a high heat capacity, so it is ideal for building houses and constructing stoves.

Speaking about heat capacity, it should be noted that heating stoves are recommended to be built from brick, since the value of its heat capacity is quite high. This allows you to use the stove as a kind of heat accumulator. Heat accumulators in heating systems (especially in water heating systems) are used more and more every year. Such devices are convenient because they only need to be heated well once with the intense fire of a solid fuel boiler, after which they will heat your home for a whole day or even more. This will significantly save your budget.

Heat capacity and thermal conductivity of materials

Thermal conductivity is a physical quantity of materials that describes the ability of temperature to penetrate from one wall surface to another.

To create comfortable indoor conditions, it is necessary that the walls have a high heat capacity and a low thermal conductivity coefficient. In this case, the walls of the house will be able to accumulate thermal energy from the environment, but at the same time prevent the penetration of thermal radiation into the room.

Use of various materials in construction

Tree

For comfortable living in a home, it is very important that the material has high heat capacity and low thermal conductivity.

In this regard, wood is the best option for houses not only for permanent but also for temporary residence. A wooden building that is not heated for a long time will respond well to changes in air temperature. Therefore, heating of such a building will occur quickly and efficiently.

Coniferous species are mainly used in construction: pine, spruce, cedar, fir. In terms of price-quality ratio, the best option is pine. Whatever you choose to design a wooden house, you need to consider the following rule: the thicker the walls, the better. However, here you also need to take into account your financial capabilities, since with an increase in the thickness of the timber, its cost will increase significantly.

Brick

This building material has always been a symbol of stability and strength. The brick has good strength and resistance to negative environmental influences. However, if we take into account the fact that brick walls are mainly constructed with a thickness of 51 and 64 cm, then in order to create good thermal insulation they additionally need to be covered with a layer of thermal insulation material. Brick houses are great for permanent residence. Once heated, such structures are capable of releasing the heat accumulated in them into space for a long time.

When choosing a material for building a house, you should take into account not only its thermal conductivity and heat capacity, but also how often people will live in such a house. The right choice will allow you to maintain coziness and comfort in your home throughout the year.

In construction, a very important characteristic is the heat capacity of building materials. The thermal insulation characteristics of the walls of the building depend on it, and, accordingly, the possibility of a comfortable stay inside the building. Before you begin to familiarize yourself with the thermal insulation characteristics of individual building materials, you need to understand what heat capacity is and how it is determined.

Mining Features

Quartz can be divided into primary and secondary. The first variety is formed directly during the disintegration of granite and is located under a layer of clay and mixtures. This is decomposed granite, which lies in one place for a long time, without being exposed to water, sun, or air.

Mining of primary quartz

It is extracted from its deposits and transported for processing. Then the clay is dissolved, the quartz is dehydrated and calcined. The material is divided into fractions and packaged.

Mining of secondary quartz

Raw materials are collected from reservoirs by pump. The mixture is then transferred to storage areas. A quarry is formed on the ground, deposits are collected using an excavator and other equipment.

Sandblasting works

One of the most effective methods for cleaning surfaces is sandblasting.
Quartz sand or other abrasive is sprayed onto the surface (glass, metal, stone, wood) that needs to be cleaned using a compressed stream of air or water. Sand grains fly at great speed and destroy the top layer of the surface, cleaning it from scale, corrosion and other coatings. It is necessary to ensure that along with the removed layer, for example, mold on old masonry, the stone itself is not damaged. Quartz sand for sandblasting must be selected taking into account the surface material, the degree of contamination and further processing.

Main areas of work:

• cleaning metal from rust and other contaminants; degreasing surfaces; frosting glass; cleaning concrete and stone masonry; roughening the surface for further processing.

Today there is a wide variety of abrasives available, but dry quartz sand remains the most popular for sandblasting.

Extraction and production of quartz sand

Extraction of quartz fractional sand is carried out by open-pit mining or by dredging from natural deposits in the floodplains of rivers and lakes.

A small amount of impurities and a large amount of quartz - this is what distinguishes the developments in which quartz sand is mined from the quarries in which ordinary construction sand is mined. The extracted raw material undergoes a number of technological processes: washing to remove mud deposits and cleaning from impurities using a chemical method.

This process is called beneficiation, it serves to obtain sand of the required quality. As a result, the content of quartz rock increases, and the purest material is obtained, which, after drying in special installations, passes through a series of sieves and is distributed into fractions. The resulting product is called fractional quartz sand.

The extraction process with a dredge goes like this: a mixture of sand and water from the bottom of the reservoir is pumped and transferred through a special pipeline to the storage site. The water is gradually separated from the extracted soil and goes through the drains back into the reservoir. The resulting material is sent to the enterprise for further enrichment and separation into fractions.

Artificial quartz sand is obtained from vein quartz rock, which is first sent to a crushing complex. There the raw materials are crushed into grains. Then follow procedures similar to those when working with quarry sand: the material is washed, dried and separated into fractions by a technical sieve.

Comparison of insulation by type and properties

Mineral wool has low thermal conductivity. This quality gives this material an advantage over most modern insulation materials. The TechnoNikol company offers a varied range of mineral wool for thermal insulation and finishing of premises.

Rocklight slabs

Rocklight is a thermal insulation board made of stone wool for heat and sound insulation coating. This type of slab is used in private housing construction. Ideal for thermal insulation of roofs and other structures. It is one of the best thermal insulation materials.

The main advantages of Rocklight

1. Correctly chosen insulation can last a very long time in operation.
2. Simple installation (installation of thermal insulation with Rocklight slabs is very convenient due to their light weight. The slabs are produced in packs, sheets measuring 1200 * 60 * 50 mm. They are convenient to install in frames, combine with each other and use for insulation in several layers)
3. Fire safety (non-flammable material)
4. No influence of moisture on the slabs (cotton wool practically does not absorb moisture)
5. Good thermal insulation properties (mineral wool from which the slabs are made provides excellent resistance to cold. Thermal conductivity corresponds to cold climates and is 0.036 W/m.

"Technoblock" slabs

Insulator in the form of mineral wool slabs. Medium density material from 40 to 50 kg/m3. Therefore, this type does not withstand high loads and is used in the construction of low-rise buildings. It is used in finishing the facades of houses and for siding. You can use insulation by laying it in two layers.

Advantages of Technoblock:

• Sound absorption (due to the plates, noise penetration is reduced)
• Vapor permeability (air circulation)
• Moisture resistance
• Long service life (manufacturer provides a guarantee of up to 80 years)
• Low thermal conductivity. Is no more than 0.034 W/m.
• Thanks to its high thermal insulation properties, the insulator maintains a comfortable microclimate in residential premises, which allows you to save on heating costs.

"Technoruf"

Non-flammable stone wool slabs to create a thermal insulation layer. Tekhnoruf products are resistant to deformation, therefore they retain their qualities perfectly. The boards are resistant to moisture, therefore preventing the appearance of dampness indoors.

Purpose:

1. Wall
2. Floor
3. Attics
4. Attic floors

The products are formed from closely intertwined fine fibers of cotton wool origin. They have a high level of sound insulation, which helps reduce airborne and impact noise levels.

Quality:

1. Durability (the boards consist of vertical and horizontal fibers, which makes them durable and increases their service life)
2. Resistance of insulation to fire (plates made of non-combustible material, thanks to this they can be used in premises for any purpose)
3. Light weight of the slabs (this quality allows installation quickly and on any surface).
4. Low thermal conductivity 0.041 W/m

"Technovent"

"Technovent" - new generation insulation materials based on mineral basalt wool.

The assortment includes 3 lines of material:

1. "Standard";
2. "Optima";
3. "Prof."

The difference between these materials is:

• material hardness;
• density.

All three types of material are intended for insulation of ventilated facade structures, and are optimized for creating single-layer protective thermal insulation.

High performance in:

• fireproof;
• environmental cleanliness;
• ease of installation.

"Technoflor"

"Technoflor" is a material that is designed for thermal and sound insulation of floors. Rigid mineral wool panels are used for surfaces subject to heavy loads. Energy-saving material that is not subject to temperature changes. Provides 100% sound insulation.

Fire-resistant, does not rot and is not susceptible to negative environmental influences. Indispensable for insulating sports-type floors that are exposed to heavy mechanical loads. Used for insulation of floating floors, for heated floors with the method of laying wool on the ground or installing wool on a concrete base.

The Technoflor product is produced in sheets with dimensions: 1000x500x40mm and 1200x600x200mm. The service life of this product from the TechnoNikol series reaches 80 years.

"Technoacoustic"

Environmentally friendly material intended for use as sound insulation:

• used for interior and exterior work;
• to absorb noise;
• frame partitions;
• suspended ceilings;
• floors.

It has the ability to retain and absorb noise up to 60 dB. In this regard, it provides a high level of acoustic protection of walls.

"Heat roll"

“Teploroll” is a new generation of rolled thermal insulation. Available in the form of mats. The mats are highly durable. Provide high thermal insulation and sound insulation qualities. Used in insulation and insulation of roofs, partitions and ceilings. Widely used in the construction of private houses.

Peculiarities:

• the material does not burn or rot;
• has a low level of thermal conductivity;
• resistant to the formation of mold and mildew, does not collapse under high humidity;
• not subject to destruction;
• non-toxic and absolutely safe for human health.

Thermal insulation has a good level of noise suppression. Easy to install due to its short length.

"Techno T"

These are rigid stone wool slabs that are used in civil and industrial construction for thermal insulation. Due to this, this material has limitations in use. Withstands a wide temperature range from −180 C to +750 C.

This is a feature of the material and the main difference from conventional building insulation. Allows installation of thermal insulation of air ducts, gas ducts, industrial furnaces.

Plates can be produced treated with aluminum foil or fiberglass on one side. Foil insulation provides a number of advantages. The foil coating of the insulation does not allow moisture to get under the coating, thereby ensuring moisture penetration. Foil does not allow cold air to pass through and does not release heat. Thanks to the high heat transfer coefficient, it can withstand temperature changes. Capable of reflecting ultraviolet rays.

Why is Penoplex in demand among consumers?

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Penoplex is a highly effective new generation material. It is universal for home insulation. Unlike mineral wool, expanded polystyrene is not afraid of moisture. Thanks to this, it does not require additional waterproofing. Provides high thermal protection, works like a thermos. Does not burn. During installation, it can be mounted directly on the ground surface. Dense insulator, tolerates mechanical loads well, has low vapor permeability.

Recommendations for use:

• To insulate the floor and basement of a house (if it has non-residential status);
• Ideal for working on flat roofs;
• Insulation of septic tanks and wells;
• Thermal insulation of facades and internal walls.

Penoplex does not allow moisture to pass through, so it is not suitable for ventilated facades.

Material advantages

• Low thermal conductivity;
• Minimum water absorption;
• High compressive strength;
• Durability;
• Frost resistance;
• Not subject to rotting, plastic material.

Comparison of thermal insulation materials

The most popular materials for installation are polyurethane foam and penoizol. The widespread use of these materials in construction is due to their low cost and excellent thermal insulation.

The waterproofing properties of penoizol allow it to be used as a roofing material.

Only vacuum insulation is more effective than polyurethane foam, and this is very expensive.

Polyurethane foam can be used in ready-made thermal insulation parts - blocks, panels. And it can be used in special compositions that are sprayed onto almost any surface: wood, glass, metal, concrete, brick, paint. As a result, there is no need to make fasteners for insulation.

Expanded polystyrene competes with polyurethane foam. Due to its low weight, even a thick layer of foam does not exert a significant load on the supporting structures. Consists of closed cells, tightly structured.

You can insulate with foam plastic:

• Exterior walls;
• Roofs;
• Floors;
• Pipelines.

To install polystyrene foam on vertical sections, it is not necessary to attach a frame. Rigid sheets of insulation can be glued to the surface or fastened mechanically.

Another one of the most popular modern materials is foil polyethylene. The bottom layer is covered with foamed polyethylene. The top layer is covered with aluminum foil, which reflects heat up to 97%.

This type of insulation is used in the construction of heated floors, for sound insulation of ventilation shafts, pipelines, and expansion tanks. The material does not allow steam and water to pass through. It insulates heat and sound at the same time. In this case, it is laid in a thin layer.

One layer of 4 mm polyethylene can replace 8 cm thick mineral wool.

Areas of use

It covers manufacturing, construction, the food and pharmaceutical industries, and other industries where the use of such material is often quite unexpected, but completely justified.

Use in construction

The operating principle of a quartz sand filter for pool water purification

Quartz sand is often used to make all kinds of blocks and bricks. Concrete blocks with the addition of quartz material have a fairly calm color scheme of pastel shades. And this, in turn, makes it possible to successfully use them for facade construction and decoration. The same goes for brick. Moreover, bricks and blocks are extremely durable. Therefore, bricks for stoves are often made with the addition of quartz sand.

Cement and various mixtures for laying asphalt deserve special attention. Thus, their highest quality options are still produced on the basis of sandy quartz. As for cement, all brands of modern Portland cement are sold with the addition of sand. This increases the adhesion of the future solution to the surface. In some cases, such an amount of this material is added to the cement that it is not necessary to add it additionally.

Expensive asphalt pavements also contain quartz sand. This is especially true for roads where traffic is high. After all, the load on the coating is quite large, so the durability of the asphalt must be corresponding.

Quartz sand is the best additive to plaster mortars for external or internal types of decoration. In this case, you can choose not only the brand that matches the functionality, but also its shade. And this will greatly affect the final shade of the plastered coating.

Plastering solutions based on quartz sand are the most beautiful and reliable. For a long time, they do not give absolutely any cracks, and also facilitate the process of giving the surface an ideal smoothness due to the fact that the quartz mixture is selected to a specific fraction suitable for the work.

Applications in industry and water treatment

The distinctive characteristic of quartz sand is the homogeneity of its crystals, which makes it an ideal material for glass production.

Quartz sand is quite successfully used in our time in porcelain, earthenware and glass production. All this is thanks to its strength, which it transfers to subsequent manufactured items. As a rule, most items made from such material are made from quartz sand.

This also includes the use of sand for the manufacture of lenses of various types, which already applies to the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the fact that its abrasive properties are very high, the glass pieces are perfectly smooth and durable. At the same time, transparency is not lost at all, since white quartz sand is widely used, which is used in this case.

Particular attention is paid to quartz sand in the food industry. Namely, it is widely used for water purification

Due to its good adsorption, this substance is able to retain and absorb all the smallest harmful impurities from the liquid. Therefore, many expensive filters today work precisely thanks to it. After all, the ability to be monomineral is observed only in this sand, not in river sand, not in gully sand.

The only drawback here is the need to periodically change the sand, since otherwise it will simply gradually lose its properties, become dirty and unsuitable for ideal cleaning. In addition to all this, the degree of enrichment of the liquid with useful microelements contained in quartz will noticeably decrease.

So, the main properties and areas of use of quartz sand have been discussed today. With the development of science, the areas of use of the material are developing even more, while the quality of the sand itself is also improving. Therefore, even despite its high cost, it should be used.

Areas of application of quartz sand

Calcined quartz sand is used:

1. for sandblasting, in the production of dry building mixtures, in landscape design, in urban landscaping, when laying paving slabs, in shotcrete.

Calcined quartz sand is more expensive than other types; the cost of quartz sand is explained by the fact that the processing process itself is quite expensive. However, the quality of this type of sand is significantly higher - the firing process allows you to thoroughly clean quartz sand from impurities, including clay and gravel, after which the sand is sieved fractionally and packaged in big bags - special synthetic containers that protect the material from dirt and humidity. Which also affects the quality of the sand.

In sandblasting work, fine-grained quartz sand is usually used. In many countries, dry sandblasting is prohibited due to high risks, but in Russia this process requires the use of a cleaning suit and careful adherence to safety precautions. In addition, hydrotreating is used - supplying abrasives under running water, which is safer.

For dry construction mixtures, various types of quartz sand are used, both small and large. The latter are in demand in the production of decorative plaster and other decorative mixtures.

In landscape design and urban improvement, quartz sand is used for sprinkling paths, creating gardens, even in sandboxes.

When laying paving slabs, sand is used as a substrate, and in shotcrete it is used as sand in a cement-sand mortar.

Classification

Quartz sand is divided into:

• river (is the cleanest and most expensive);
• sea ​​(particles mixed with clay and silt elements. Demand for it is less than for river);
• soil (burial, located under a layer of clay, soil. It is characterized by an acute-angled shape and roughness. Used in construction work);
• gully (has impurities of silt. These are rough fractions of an acute-angled shape. They are part of plaster and concrete solutions);
• mountainous (origin is located in mountainous areas. Its characteristics are similar to ravine).

Quartz sand is divided into natural and artificial. In the first case, rounded, natural sand appears as a result of exposure to water and air. The quartz grains become smooth and round.

Its advantages include the following:

• Silicon oxide IV is 98%.
• The composition contains no impurities of organic substances.
• Resistant to mechanical and chemical influences.
• Can withstand high temperatures easily.

Characteristics and basic properties of quartz sand

Table of use of quartz sand depending on the fraction.

Quartz sand is loose quartz - the most durable material in nature. Such sand can be obtained either naturally, when natural crushing of stone occurs, or artificially, when quartz is crushed intentionally. But most often quartz is crushed independently.

Quartz sand is most often a very free-flowing homogeneous material, which, depending on the specific subtype of quartz and the nature of its crushing, differs in fractions. The minimum size of sand grains will be about 0.05 mm, the maximum - 3 mm. Very often, quartz material contains additional impurities in small quantities, but can contain up to 90% silica.

No matter how it is extracted, it undergoes additional thorough cleaning, sifting, and also sorting into fractions. This makes it possible to separate the material by grade, as well as to weed out low-quality sand and debris from it.

It has several other properties that distinguish it favorably from all other types of sand. This is a high adsorption capacity, unusual resistance to mechanical and temperature influences, and also a high degree of adhesion to various materials and mixtures.