Thermal Break – Thermablock Aerogel Insulation

Aerogel Thermablok

The revolutionary ThermaBlok® insulation technology, used in the Space Shuttle, has the highest insulation value of any material known. Thermablok is now available for use in building construction and energy efficiency retrofits. Most heat transmission through walls is directly through studs to the drywall, known as “thermal bridging”. Thermablok breaks this thermal bridging link.

Thermablok manufactures aerogel in 1-1/2″ wide strips rather than broad sheets. In stud wall construction, the cavity between the studs is filled with insulation, but the studs themselves can conduct heat and cold, a process known as “thermal bridging,” which reduces the thermal performance of the wall. By covering the studs with strips of aerogel insulation before the interior drywall or exterior sheathing is applied, the thermal bridging is broken, and the thermal performance of the wall can increase by 30% or more. This can be an efficient use of aerogel material in a cost-effective way.

Thermablok strips can be installed on the exterior of the studs during new construction, or can be applied on the interior during remodeling as well as new construction. This makes it suitable for energy efficiency retrofits. As with Spaceloft blankets, because Thermablok is so thin (about 1/4″ once installed), it can be used to improve performance without taking away great amounts of space from inside the building.
Suggested retail price for Thermablok tape is $1.99/ft.

Advantages
Very significant saving in energy costs, Stimulus Package tax credits up to 30% available for residential retrofits
100% recyclable, Contains no ozone depleting substances, Uses >30% recycled content, Composite material consisting of over 95% air, Hydrophobic, unaffected by moisture, mold or water, Easily applied via stick-on-back, “Class A” fire rated, Economical, Virtually no weight means low cost (+ low emissions) shipping, Adds acoustical isolation, Is not affected by age as it does not react with moisture of the atmosphere, and Made in USA

Availability
Thermablok Thermal and Acoustic Isolation Systems
6900 Interbay Blvd. Tampa Fl 33616
Phone +1-813-980-1400 Fax +1-813-549-2653
http://thermablok.com/index.html

Filed under: Materials, Research, Skins, aerogel, insulation

Spaceloft Aerogel Insulalation

Ultra-Thin Super Insulation with Aerogel

Aerogel insulation seems like a material out of science-fiction. It is the lightest solid known, although by volume it is 99% air. It is breathable, but it doesn’t absorb water. It is incredibly strong for its weight. But most importantly, it is a fantastic insulator.

Spaceloft is an aerogel blanket that is can be 1/4″ thick and provides more effective insulation than fiberglass or rigid board per inch, nearly double. It is manufactured by Aspen Aerogel and comes in a 57-inch wide roll of aerogel material available in 0.20 in. and 0.40 in. thickness. Spaceloft is a useful product for insulating existing walls in retrofit situations where it is important to minimize the amount of floor area lost to building up wall insulation. An old brick building can be a beautiful thing, but brick makes a poor insulator. Instead of building a new insulated wall against the existing wall that would be 4″ thick (or more), a Spaceloft blanket covered by drywall can achieve similar energy-efficiency in a wall covering that is less than an inch thick.

According to Martin LaMonica of CNET, Spaceloft blankets have been used by the Rhode Island Housing Authority to retrofit a 50-unit housing complex that was built with no insulation in the 1940s.

The advantage of this product is reduced profile, it is easy to cut and install, and is more effective than most products on the market.

Content
Air, silica aerogel with reinforcing fibers

Sustainability
R- Value of 10.3 per inch, highly effective material

Availability
ASPEN AEROGELS, INC.
30 Forbes Road, Building B
Northborough, MA 01532
USA
Tel: 1.508.691.1111
Fax: 1.508.691.1200

Filed under: Materials, Research, Skins, aerogel, insulation, nanogel