Pipe insulation

Process Auxiliaries and utilities

3170516
OPEN ELECTIVE COURSE

Kaushik Nath
Department of Chemical Engineering
G H Patel College of Engineering & Technology
 Piping insulation

As fluid passes through pipe, it loses its heat to surround

atmosphere if its temperature is higher than surrounding
air.
If temperature of pipe is lower than surrounding air, it
gains heat from it. As pipe are generally made from
metals like steel, copper etc. which are very good
conductor of heat, heat loss will be substantial and very
costly. So it is essential to provide cover of a material
which is very poor conductor of heat like mineral wool,
hemp etc.
 Pipe insulation: principal functions
Pipe Insulations are materials or combinations of materials wrapped around the
pipe which retard the flow of heat energy. Pipe insulation reduces energy losses to
a great extent and thereby reduce the energy cost. Piping shall be insulated as per
the insulation class, operating temperature, and insulation thickness stated in the
P&ID.

A piping insulation system serves three principal purposes:

the significant reduction in heat transfer of thermal energy to and from

the surface of the piping system (Heat Conservation). So, piping
insulation conserve energy

the prevention of moisture formation and collection on the surface of the

piping system due to condensation on cold surfaces (Cold Insulation).

the prevention of potentially injurious personnel contact with the surface

of the exposed piping system (Personal Protection).
 Other benefits of piping insulation

Piping insulation facilitates temperature control of the process.

Prevent vapor flow and water condensation on cold surfaces.
Increase the operating efficiency of heating/cooling, power, and
process systems.
Reduce major damages in the piping during fire or accidents.
Prevent pollutant emissions to the atmosphere to a great
extent.
sometimes Steam traced/Electric traced insulation,
Regeneration insulation, jacketing, etc are used as per
process/licensor requirement.
Fireproofing, fire protection, and acoustic insulation (to absorb
vibration) are provided based on project specification/
requirements.
 Types of piping insulation

Based on Pipe Insulation function

Hot Insulation
Cold Insulation
Personal Protection Insulation
Acoustic Insulation

Based on Insulation Material Types

Fibrous Insulation
Cellular Insulation
Granular Insulation
 Hot and cold insulation

Hot Insulation
Hot insulation is applied on the hot surfaces of the piping
system to prevent the energy flow from flowing fluid. So, main
aim of hot piping insulation is heat conservation. Mineral Wool,
Glass Wool, Calcium Silicate, etc are normally used as Hot
insulating material.

Cold insulation

Cold Insulation is the insulation used on cold surfaces of the

piping system to avoid heat gain from outside (Cold
Conservation) or to avoid Condensation. Polyurethane Foam,
Expanded Perlite Foam, Expanded Polystyrene Foam, etc are
the widely used cold insulating materials.
Hot and cold insulation
 Personal protection insulation

Personal Protection insulation is provided to avoid

personal heat injury. All exposed piping surfaces that
exceed 65 Deg C is provided with personal protection
insulation.

The areas that are not accessible by construction or

operating personnel can be left exposed.

An open mesh metal guard, mineral wool, etc are used as
personal protection insulation material. The criteria for
personal protection is that the exposed surfaces located
within 600 mm horizontally or 2100 mm vertically of a
normal access, walkway or work area are to be insulated.
Personal protection insulation in operating plant
 Acoustic insulation
Acoustic Insulation is provided for all piping that are
considered as a potential sound source. The main
purpose is to reduce the noise (vibration) to an
acceptable limit. The minimum thickness for acoustic
insulation is normally 75 mm. Acoustic Foam,
fiberglass, polyester/polyurethane foams , rockwool,
Mass Loaded Vinyl, etc are used as Acoustic
Insulating material.
 Fibrous, cellular and granular insulation
Fibrous Insulation
Fibrous insulation consists of small diameter fibres which finely divide the air
space. The fibres may be perpendicular or parallel to the surface being
insulated, and they may or may not be bonded together.
Common fibres used in piping insulation are Silica, slag wool, rock wool, and
alumina-silica. Among these, Glass fibre and Mineral Wool are the two most
widely used piping insulations of this type. Their fibres are normally bonded
with organic binders for structural integrity.
Cellular insulation
Cellular pipe insulation material comprises small individual cells separated
from each other. Common cellular material used as pipe insulation is glass or
foamed plastics such as cellular glass, phenolic foam, or nitrile rubber.
Granular Insulation
Small nodules containing voids or hollow spaces constitute the granular
insulation. As gas can be transferred between the individual spaces, It is not
considered a true cellular material. This type is manufactured as loose or
pourable material or combined with a binder and fibers. Sometimes they
undergo a chemical reaction to form rigid insulation. Calcium silicate and
vermiculite are examples of these types of insulations.
 Pipe insulation materials

Low-temperature insulation is frequently made of

expanded cellular plastic or foam rubber material.
Moderate temperature insulations are made from grass
fibre products.
High-temperature insulation is made of preformed
cementations or refractory materials or blankets made from
ceramic fibres.
Insulation and accessory materials have to be 100%
asbestos-free.
Normally mineral fibre, cellular glass, ceramic fibre, glass
fibre, polyisocyanurate, polyurethane foam etc are used as
insulation material.
 Types of Insulation
Pipe Insulation Temperature
Density (kg/m3)
Material Limitation
Mineral Glass Fibre up to 535°C
Mineral Wool 140 up to 700°C
Rock Wool 140 up to 550°C
Glass Wool 80 up to 450°C
Calcium Silicate 200-280 up to 815°C
Expanded Perlite 192 up to 550°C
Expanded Silica up to 535°C
Refractory Fiber 150 up to 1750°C
Polyurethane Foam 40 from -150°C to 110°C

Polyisocyanurate 40-64 from -150°C to 125°C

Cellular Glass 147 up to 350°C
Ceramic Fibre 250 up to 760°C
Mineral wool piping insulation
 Main part of piping insulation system

The main part of the Piping insulation system is the

insulating material. Other elements that constitute the
pipe insulation system are:

oProtective Coating
oVapor Barrier
oThe cladding of the metallic sheet.
oSpacers to enable cladding to retain its shape.
oPacking to fill the cavities or voids, if any.
 Piping insulation forms
Insulations are manufactured in a variety of forms to suit specific applications and
functions. The installation method is decided by the combined insulation form and
type of insulation. The most widely used insulation forms are:

Rigid boards, sheets, blocks, and pre-formed shapes: Cellular, granular, and
fibrous insulations are produced in these forms.

Flexible sheets and pre-formed shapes: Cellular and fibrous insulations are
produced in these forms.

Flexible blankets: Fibrous insulations are produced in flexible blankets.

Cement (insulating and finishing): Produced from fibrous and granular

insulations and cement, they may be of the hydraulic setting or airdrying type.

Foams: Poured or froth foam used to fill irregular areas and voids. Spray used
for flat surfaces.
 Piping insulation standards

The following codes and standards provide guidelines for

industrial piping insulation:
ASTM C533, ASTM C547, ASTM C552, ASTM C591,
ASTM C592, ASTM C610, ASTM C612, ASTM C795,
ASTM C892, ASTM C165, ASTM C240, ASTM C302,
ASTM C303, ASTM C335, ASTM C356, ASTM C390,
ASTM C446
BS 1902 Part 6, BS 4370 Part 2, BS 5608
IS 11239, IS 12436, IS 9428, IS 8183, IS 4671, IS 3690
ISO 15665
 Insulation thickness
Total heat transferred (Q) from pipe through such insulating material depends
on following factors :
N : Length of Pipe.
Tp : Operating temperature of fluid inside pipe.
Ti : Maximum temperature allowed on the outside surface of insulation.
Typically 50°C.
Rp : Radius of Pipe.
Ri : Radius of Insulation.
k : Thermal conductivity of insulating material.
Formula for Steady state heat transfer through insulating material
wrapped around a pipe is as follows :

Above equation is derived from Fourier’s equation for heat

conduction, for steady state heat transfer for radial heat
conduction across hollow cylinder.