Top 8 Blogs from 2017

2017 is coming to a close, and we've covered a lot of ground this year in our blog. Here are the top 10 blog posts from 2017!

8) DON'T SETTLE WHEN IT COMES TO VIBRATION: PART 2
We recently published Part 1 of the blog series,Don’t Settle When It Comes to Vibration. The previous blog addressed several types of insulation that you can use in high-temperature industrial applications where vibration is a component of the environment.

As discussed previously, the temperature of the application plays a critical role in establishing whether or not the insulation will be able to perform in such a physically demanding application. Specifically, when the application operates at temperatures that exceed 600°F, we have observed mineral wool beginning to fail at a structural level because of binder burnout. The data show the binder utilized in most industrial mineral wool insulations will begin to oxidize at temperatures at and above 600°F, causing the material to lose its compressive strength and, subsequently, sacrificing its structural integrity. Under these circumstances, mineral wool can sag, settle, or compress, compromising the thermal performance of the insulation.  This is where the other materials, like calcium silicate and InsulThin™ HT, a microporous blanket, should be used.

7) JM PRESENTS NEW CUI RESEARCH AT NACE CORROSION 2017
At Johns Manville, our technical teams continually collaborate with industrial industry experts to provide the latest information designers need to consider when specifying insulating materials for industrial applications. As part of that effort, two of our leading technical experts, Dr. Ames Kulprathipanja, JM Innovation Leader, and David Shong, Sr. Specification Representative, are proud to present the following topics at the upcoming National Association for Corrosion Engineers (NACE) Corrosion Conference & Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 26-30.

6) IS YOUR METAL JACKETING SPEC UP TO PAR?
Did you know there are two “new” ASTM standard specifications for metal jacketing?  If you haven’t heard this, don’t feel bad – you aren’t alone.  Our very own regional technical managers at JM IIG have commented that they have rarely met an owner, engineer, distributor, or contractor that has heard about these two new specifications, even though these standards have been in the industry for close to 5 years.  Despite their lack of notoriety, these standards are now available from ASTM, and they are worth reading and considering for your specifications to ensure that the jacketing is robust enough to withstand the rigorous demands of your application.

5) WHY ARE MY SURFACE TEMPS OUT OF SPEC?
The engineer designed the piping system with care: its insulation thickness was verified by the most reliable and commonly used software available, and the insulation was installed accurately and to specification by a talented, detail-oriented crew.  Then, during the initial startup, the surface temperature reached the anticipated temperature…and then kept on increasing until it was 20+ degrees above the design parameters. 

Where did things go wrong?

4) NEW INSULTHIN HT INSTALLATION GUIDE AVAILABLE!
Thin blanket insulations, like InsulThin™ HT, are one of the more recent (relatively) innovations in the industrial insulation industry. Their low-profile makes them ideal for applications where space is constrained, while their flexibility makes them highly adaptable to the unique shapes or configurations that may be encountered in an industrial piping structure. Additionally, some thin blankets, InsulThin HT included, are hydrophobic and will shed water on applications that operate at temperatures below 600°F. In exposed applications, this feature can be a contributing factor in reducing the risk of corrosion under insulation (CUI).

3) THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF CALCIUM SILICATE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?
Industrial insulation contractors have their work cut out for them. As with many facets of industrial facility construction, operation, and maintenance, orchestrating the variables at play is critical to ensuring that projects are completed safely, on time, and to specification. For contractors, this effort can be complicated by coordinating timing with unforeseen project delays, space constraints, difficulty finding skilled installers, material storage limitations, and, most notably, inclement weather. These challenges largely stem from two things: 1) insulation installation typically happens at the very end of projects, and 2) much of the installation work has to be done outdoors, putting contractors at the mercy of the weather. 

2) UNDERSTANDING THE PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXPANDED PERLITE AND CALCIUM SILICATE
Johns Manville Industrial Insulation Group (JM IIG) offers two high-temperature industrial insulation products with exceptional compressive strength: Sproule WR-1200®, hydrophobic expanded perlite, and Thermo-1200™, water resistant calcium silicate. These materials have a number of similarities that make them ideal for many of the same applications, but there are some unique differences between the two that designers should consider when specifying either of these insulations.

1) ARE YOU USING THE RIGHT INSULATION?
Selecting the proper insulation for any given application is crucial to designing an efficient, high-performing system.  In fact, product selection is one key detail that can oftentimes make or break an overall proper system design. Each insulation, however, brings unique benefits and drawbacks to the table that a designer should carefully weigh against the overall demands of the application.