Comparative characteristics of stone and glass mineral woolSTONE OR GLASS MINERAL WOOL?

Technical conditions and norms, as well as the higher demands of the users of buildings, require the use of the best quality construction materials in the construction process. It is especially important that the space in which we spend our time provides the suitable warmth and acoustic comfort, as well as the fire safety. Thus, it is important to pay attention to the choice of the insulation materials while in the phase of designing.

Knauf Insulation is a company that offers you quality solutions based on top-level characteristics of our products, insulation materials made of stone and glass mineral wool. Although both materials –wools- have existed on our market for a long

period of time, there are still certain ambiguities concerning their differences and similarities, fields of application and origin. 

  

 

We are in a unique position to offer you both these materials- which gives us the authority to give unbiased and objective advice to each buyer – where, how and why to use which of these two materials. 

About the materials

Both the stone and the glass woll are included in the group of mineral wools- due to their mineral origin:

Stone mineral wool is made of volcanically originated stone- dolomite, diabase and basalt 

Glass mineral wool is made of sand and glass slag

The production process is similar: the raw is melted at high temperatures, “lava” is formed, which is then spun into delicate fibers using centrifugal wheels. Those fibers are then deposited into felt, from which, after future processing, the final product is made – slabs of stone or glass mineral wool.  

Contrastive characteristics of materials

Stone mineral wool Glass mineral wool short fibers greater density of the product from 30 to 200kg/m3 high resistance to pressure λ in the limits from 0.035 to 0.039w/mK great absorbance of sound energy incombustible material, incombustibility class A1

long fibers lesser density of the product from 11 to 45kg/m3 lower resistance to pressure λ in the limits from 0.032 to 0.044w/mK great absorbance of sound energy incombustible material, incombustibility class A1

maximum working temperature 750°C higher fire resistance high melting temperature, over 1000°C lower elasticity of the material low tensile strength very resistant to mechanical damage during handling

maximum working temperature 230°C fire resistance lower melting temperature, about 700°C high elasticity of the material high tensile strength resistant to mechanical damage during handling

 

From the listed characteristics of the materials, it can be concluded that both glass and stone mineral wool offer: 

   

Thermal insulation Acoustic insulation Fire protection Long-life products (as the life of the building) Water-resistant and vapor-permeable (the rooms ‘breathe’) Resistant to microorganisms and chemical substances Ecologically safe  

 

When to choose stone mineral wool? 

High fire protection requirements

Due to its structure and very high melting point (over 1000 C°), stone mineral wool is an ideal fire protection – the function of the fire resistant material is to protect the construction from collapsing in the case of fire, as well as to enable safe evacuation of the people from the building (e.g. inside and outside walls, steel constructions…). The stone mineral wool does not allow the flame to develop (highest class of incombustibility – A1), it stops the spreading of fire and does not emit poisonous gases, which are the cause of 89% of deaths! 

 

 

  

High working temperatures

Stone mineral wool has very high working temperature (up to 750°C), which makes it an ideal fire protection on high temperatures (in industry, for insulation of pipes and boilers)

Light construction

The thermal protection during summer (e.g. pitched roofs with line posts: joists and rafters). When the summer comfort is taken into consideration, the best insulation materials are those which delay the transfer of heat from the outer environment into the inside of the building, that is the materials with high thermal persistence. The thermal persistence is the heat which the material can accumulate and it is in proportion to the density of the material, i.e. the higher the density, the higher the thermal persistence.

High compression strength

This characteristic is noticeable at places that suffer great pressure (floors and flat roofs). Due to its structure and high density, the stone mineral wool will better the performance of the floor and the roof, without the decrease of thermal and acoustic insulation properties.

 

 

 

Ecological safety of the products

Both stone and glass mineral wool made by Knauf Insulation are certified as non-harmful for the health of people by- EUCEB (European Certification Board for Mineral Wool Producers), which represents the certificate issued by an independent body, which guarantees that the mineral wool products fulfill the criteria for non-cancerous materials. The growing concern of the developed countries about the waste of energy and global warming put the energy saving into the foreground. Since the residential buildings are identified as the biggest consumers (40% of total consumed energy, and in Serbia as much as 47%), the attention is focused on their energy account, both in construction of new buildings and the renovation of the old ones. The glass mineral wool insulation is a fairly cheap investment, and it is the long-term solution for saving energy in residential buildings. Well-insulated walls, floors and ceilings ensure a pleasant temperature during all seasons, the need for heating and cooling is lowered, which minimizes the spending of energy. The installed insulation is an economical and a lifelong solution – it lasts as long as the building itself.