What is Thermal Insulation?
Before understanding what thermal insulation is, let’s first learn about “heat conduction.” Heat conduction is the transfer of heat from one place to another through a medium. For example, when using “metal” chopsticks for grilling, after a while, we feel that the chopsticks become “hot,” indicating they “conduct heat well.” However, when using “wooden” chopsticks, they don’t get hot over time, showing that wood is a “poor heat conductor.” As mentioned, materials that are poor heat conductors are what we call “thermal insulation.”
- What Makes Good Thermal Insulation?
Now that we understand what thermal insulation is, let’s discuss what makes good thermal insulation. Everyone understands that good thermal insulation won’t feel hot when held for a long time. But how do we know which type of insulation can be held longer? Materials like glass, wood, plastic, and paper are all “poor heat conductors.” We can compare them using a value called “thermal conductivity or k-value,” where:
(Thermal Conductivity Coefficient Comparison Table)
| Material | Thermal Conductivity Coefficient (k) |
|---|---|
| Glass | 1.05 |
| Wood | 0.17 |
| Plastic | 0.03 |
| Paper | 0.05 |
As you can see, plastic has the lowest k-value, meaning it conducts heat the poorest, making it the best thermal insulator.
Now that we understand k-value, thermal insulation comes with various additional options, including lightweight types, fire-resistant, water-resistant, compression-resistant, and more, with different materials offering different properties.
