ArmaFlex Class 1 Air Conditioning Pipe Insulation Tube Type

Air Conditioning Pipe Insulation Operating Temperature

Air conditioning pipe insulation or Armaflex Class1 black rubber insulation is NBR synthetic rubber insulation with an operating temperature range of -50 to 105 degrees Celsius. With its low temperature operating range, black rubber insulation is popular for cooling systems such as air conditioning systems, water supply pipes, or freezer room applications.

Thermal Conductivity

In terms of energy properties, black rubber insulation is globally recognized as highly efficient air conditioning pipe insulation with extremely low thermal conductivity at 0.032 – 0.039 [ W/m.K ]

Due to the properties of Armaflex Class 1 NBR rubber material, if you observe the cells of the black rubber, you’ll see that each cell is the same size. This indicates that every cell has the same properties in terms of heat resistance, vapor barrier, flexibility, and even rubber color.

The thermal conductivity (K-Value) of Armaflex Class1 air conditioning pipe insulation is tested by world-class testing organizations: ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), and GB (Guobiao)

Table of thermal conductivity values at different temperatures

Temperature (°C)	-20	0	20	40
Thermal conductivity (W/m.K)	0.032	0.034	0.036	0.039

Water Vapor diffusion resistance

The water vapor resistance capability of air conditioning pipe insulation, or simply put, how much water vapor is allowed to pass through the insulation material. If too much water vapor penetrates, it will cause moisture within the rubber material and the consequence is rust, which becomes another problem in terms of Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI).

As we know, black rubber insulation has a closed-cell structure that allows very little water vapor to pass through. To confirm this, we rely on testing standards.

Before we can determine if our insulation is truly effective, we need to understand the “Water Vapor diffusion resistance factor” or “mu value “. The higher this value, the less water vapor can pass through the material. For reference, brick has a μ = 14.28, concrete slab has μ = 76, stainless steel sheet has μ = 1000, while Armaflex Class1 black rubber insulation has μ = 10,000

This value is tested by the European Standard (EN) organization using standards DIN EN 13469 (test standard for thermal insulation products for building equipment and industrial installations – determination of water vapor transmission properties of preformed pipe insulation) and DIN EN 12086 (thermal insulating products for building applications – determination of water vapor transmission properties).

Fire Performance and Approvals

BS 476 Part 7

Materials used in buildings are quite serious about fire spread. Insulation materials for air conditioning pipes that spread or catch fire are prohibited in large buildings or high-rise structures because fire-spreading materials make fire control difficult and allow fires to spread quickly throughout the building. The most common standard is BS 476 Part 7, which is a standard for testing material fire spread. Thermal insulation materials with a Class 1 code must pass the BS 476 Part 7 standard.

FM Approval

The fire protection capability of Armaflex Class1 can be considered a rather special product because all types of Armacell black rubber insulation are FM Approved tested, which is a standard that tests actual air conditioning pipe insulation, not just burning material samples.

FM Approved is created by a group of insurance companies that certify products that pass fire-related tests. For black rubber pipe insulation, FM conducts tests by covering pipes with the insulation and measuring the amount of fire spread. If the fire spread does not exceed the specified range, it passes the FM standard. Another advantage of obtaining FM Approval is reduced insurance premiums. As mentioned, FM is an organization formed by insurance companies, so using FM Approved products results in lower insurance premiums.

UL 94

The UL 94 standard is used to test plastic materials for flammability and flame spread. It classifies the flammability and flame spread from the lowest level (least flame retardant) to the highest level (most flame retardant) as follows:

• • HB: Horizontal burn test: Burning rate less than 76 mm/min for specimens less than 3 mm thick
  • V-2: Vertical burn test: Burning stops within 30 seconds, dripping of flaming particles is allowed
  • V-1: Vertical burn test: Burning stops within 30 seconds, no dripping of flaming particles allowed
  • V-0: Vertical burn test: Burning stops within 10 seconds, no dripping of flaming particles allowed
  • 5VB: Surface burn test: Burning stops within 60 seconds, no dripping allowed, sample may have burn-through holes
  • 5VA: Surface burn test: Burning stops within 60 seconds, no dripping allowed, sample must not have any burn-through holes

Health Impact

Since it’s black rubber insulation, it contains no fibers and no formaldehyde. It’s classified as a low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emitting product.

It has been certified by UL (Underwriters Laboratory) under the UL 2818-2013 standard, which limits the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from products into indoor air, to control Indoor Air Quality and improve consumer health by reducing chemical emissions.

Armaflex Class1 black rubber insulation has received UL certification as GREENGUARD Gold Certification, which has stricter controls than the standard GREENGUARD Certification.

Environmental Impact

The environment is a mega trend in today’s world. We can see that in the past industrial era, we mainly used oil as the king of all energy sources. However, it had a significant impact on the environment, including global warming and the extinction of some species. The energy demand has thus shifted to the era of renewable and clean energy, such as wind power, solar energy, hydropower, and others. This has also led to the development of green buildings.

We can see that today’s society is placing more importance on natural resources and the environment. Various materials are starting to limit the use of nature-destroying materials, such as plastic bags, or changing air conditioner refrigerants to be more environmentally friendly.

Air conditioning pipe insulation materials are also adapting and trending in the same direction, starting with controlling the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) values.

Additionally, Armaflex Class1 has also received the “SGBP Green Label” from SGBC (Singapore Green Building Council), which certifies products that meet criteria covering these 5 aspects:

1. 1. Energy Efficiency
   2. Water Efficiency
   3. Resource Efficiency
   4. Health & Environmental Protection
   5. Other Green Features

Another environmental standard that can’t be overlooked is the ISO Environment Standard, which is divided into 3 types:

• • ISO 14024: 2018 Environmental labels and declarations (Type I Environmental labeling)
  • ISO 14021: 2001 Environmental labels and declarations (Type II Self-declared environmental claims)
  • ISO 14025: 2006 Environmental labels and declarations (Type III Environmental declarations)

TYPE I:

This is a voluntary environmental label. Products must pass quality and environmental tests, which consider the product’s life cycle. A third party provides the certification.

TYPE II:

This is a label where the product or service manufacturer self-certifies that the product is environmentally friendly.

TYPE III:

This label provides environmental information about the product under an independent organization with appropriate qualifications. The criteria must follow the principles of Life Cycle Assessment of the product. An example is the EPD (Environmental Product Declaration).

EPD is like an “ingredient label” for products, showing how the product impacts living things and the environment from the production process to the decomposition process. It’s calculated from the product’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based on standards certified by independent organizations with transparent, accurate, and complete information.

 

Technical Specifications Table

Features				Test Standard
Operating Temperature	Max Service Temperature	+105°C	+85°C when adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the material
	Min Service Temperature	-50°C
Water Vapour diffusion resistance factor	μ ≥ 10,000			DIN EN 13469 DIN EN 12086 GB/T 17146-1997
Water vapour permeability	≤ 1.96 x 10-11 g/(m·s·Pa)
Surface spread of flame	Class 1			BS 476 Part 7 :1997
Fire test	V-0 rating			UL 94
	FM-Approved			FM 4924
Dripping during fire	No dripping
Compression set	≥ 70%			GB/T 6669-2001
Water absorption under vacuum	≤ 10%			GB/T 17794
Chemical resistance	Contact manufacturer for test results
Health impact	Fiber-free and formaldehyde-free Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), low total aldehyde. GREENGUARD Gold for even lower VOC and Total chemical emissions.			UL2818-2013
Environmental impact	Zero ODP and GWP Singapore Green Building Product Certified: “Excellent” rating Type III Environment Product Declaration (EPD): Declaration number 4786944121.101.1, UL Environment