You want your building to run at peak performance every day, and that includes the mechanical systems at work inside and outside of it. Insulation should protect your pipes, equipment and other mechanical components, but it can become compromised — so you should spend a little time thinking about insulation blankets.
Insulation blankets provide an extra layer of protection so you can maximize performance. Learn what insulation blankets are and why they’re essential for protecting your building’s components.
What Is an Insulation Blanket?
Removable insulation blankets are made from layers of thermal insulation materials. They fasten onto and insulate valves, exhaust manifolds, industrial equipment and mechanical components that require repeat access. Insulation blankets serve to maximize efficiency, regulate temperature and improve workplace safety.
Benefits of Insulation Blankets
Water and moisture can seep into your insulation, undermining performance. If this happens, not only could your insulation’s effectiveness take a hit, but you can face a number of other challenges. Removable insulation blankets keep things on track.
Prevent Corrosion Under Insulation
If moisture leaks into your insulation, pipes and components can corrode. Corrosion can irreparably damage equipment and piping systems. Removable insulation blankets provide water drainage, preventing the risk of corrosion under insulation.
Reduce Heat Loss and Conserve Energy
If your piping system is compromised by corrosion, the floodgates open to more and more problems. Insulation blankets retain heat (or insulate against it in cold process applications) so you can maintain ideal temperatures and keep your energy costs low.
Facilitate Servicing
What if you need to reach your pipes? Removable insulation blankets enable you to service hard-to-reach piping and components. They are made with hook and loop straps or buckles and D-rings to both keep the blankets place and make them easy to remove. If you need to make a repair, it’s possible to quickly do so without destroying other components, cutting lifetime insulation maintenance costs.
Insulation Blanket Use Cases
Insulation blankets are used to protect equipment insulation products in a wide variety of spaces, from commercial to industrial environments. They are common in manufacturing plants, chemical processing plants, universities and hospitals, as well as in oil and gas industry applications.
A primary differentiator in how insulation blankets are deployed is the temperature of the environment.
High-Temperature Applications
Exhaust systems and steam electrical-generating turbines both need insulation protection. In such cases, hot jackets — with heat-resistant thread and jacketing — are deployed to handle temperatures up to 550 F.
Low-Temperature Applications
However, instrumentation and water piping need to be equally guarded. Insulation blankets designed for low-temperature applications (such as those outside) are deployed to handle temperatures as low as -67 F.
Materials for Insulation Blankets
Insulation blankets are available in various material compositions to provide the right levels of protection. The material you choose for your insulation blankets will depend on where and how you plan to use the product. Silicone/fiberglass and ceramic fiber/rockwool are two of the most trusted blanket materials.
Silicone and Fiberglass
When you put silicone and fiberglass together, they are a dream team. These insulation blankets are composed of a silicone-impregnated fiberglass outer layer with UV coating with 1 inch of fiberglass in the middle. Silicone and fiberglass blankets are best suited for low-temperature applications.
Ceramic Fiber and Rockwool
In a similar fashion, ceramic fiber and rockwool combine to provide insulation protection. Ceramic fiber and rockwool insulation blankets have a higher resistance to water than fiberglass, enabling them to return to their designed insulation levels after water evaporates. This kind of blanket is effective in high-temperature applications.
Get Custom Insulation Blankets for Maximum Protection
If you did not have insulation blankets on the brain before, you probably do now — so run with it. Removable insulation blankets prevent corrosion, keep your energy efficiency in check, and make it simple to conduct component maintenance when you need to, in both high- and low-temperature applications.
Wondering if insulation blanketing products are right for you? Contact us today and purchase your insulation blankets from Distribution International.