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Technical Insulation FAQ Choice of insulation material How to check the thermal performance of insulating
material?
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How to check the thermal performance of insulating material?
The thermal performance of an insulating material is affected by two factors, the thickness of the material and its thermal
conductivity (lambda). The thermal performance of a material at a particular thickness is known as its thermal resistance.

Thermal resistance (R)

The thermal resistance of a material is a measure of its ability to resist the passage of heat at a given material thickness. It is the
most effective way of comparing the performance of materials of different types and thicknesses. The higher the thermal resistance
(R), the better the insulation provided by the material. The thermal resistance of a material is calculated as follows: R = t /

Where:
t = thickness in metres
= thermal conductivity (W/m.K)

Thermal conductivity (lambda)

Thermal conductivity (lambda) is a measure of a material's ability to transmit heat, and is expressed as heat flow in Watts per metre
thicknesses of.material for a temperature gradient of one degree Kelvin (K). It is expressed as W/m.K. Generally, dense materials
have higher thermal conductivity and are therefore poor insulants, whereas lightweight materials have lower thermal conductivity and
are better insulants. Insulating materials generally have thermal conductivity values below 0.060 W/m.K at 10C. The lower the
lambda value, the better the insulation performance of the material.
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