There are several areas that are important within the world of process or industrial heating systems, and one is minimizing heat loss. There are a few different methods or themes that will be utilized with this purpose in mind, and one of the most well-known and important is insulation of the process heating system.

At Gordo Sales, we're happy to offer a wide range of not only process heating systems like radiant heaters, immersion heaters and more, but also insulation products like custom insulated blankets and more. Why is insulation important for many process heating and industrial heating systems, and what are the primary options available to fill these insulation needs? Here's a primer.

Why Insulation Matters

Insulation is an important temperature and air loss prevention method that's used across numerous industries and applications, from home heating materials and pipes to electrical areas, soundproofing and more. There are a huge variety of insulation types out there depending on the need.

And within the world of industrial heating, insulation is vital. Without insulation, heat loss within process heating setups will average between 35% and 45% - with it, heat loss drops to below 10%, and even below 5% in most cases. There are also a few other benefits of insulation for process heating:

• Product integrity: From freeze protection to other areas that hold up to the risks of sudden drops in temperature, insulation keeps the product integrity high. Products that freeze or are allowed to reach low temperatures may lose their quality or viability, or may even stop the process heating process entirely.
• Unexpected drops: Not only does insulation help protect against unexpected drops, it helps prevent them from happening to begin with.
• Lowering costs: The better your insulation, the lower your heating costs because you do not need to add any heat artificially, meaning heaters operate less often and for shorter periods, saving you money.

Insulation Options

There are a few general options for process heating insulation:

• Blanket insulation: As we mentioned above, blanket insulation is a great resource here. It comes in continuous rolls that can be cut to fit the space needed, coming in a few different formats: Microporous, silica aerogel and a few others. For the highest-temperature options, microporous blanket insulation is the way to go, as it will not degrade due to thermal shift (silica aerogel might).
• Rigid insulation: This refers to a thicker format than blankets meant to reduce gaps and air leaks, but also that takes up more space. There are several materials that might be used here.
• Mineral wool: Mineral wool actually comes in both blanket and rigid forms, plus board form for other setups. It's a lightweight material that's used when weight is an important factor, plus is low-cost and also helps with noise control.

For more on how insulation plays a role in the industrial heating process, or to learn about any of our process heating systems, speak to the staff at Gordo Sales today.