The meaning of the word "cotton wool" is a fiber consisting of various materials that have undergone special processing. Cotton wool can be either a finished product or a material for further processing. There are several types of cotton wool that are used depending on the purpose of the application.
Types of cotton wool
Cotton wool differs depending on the raw materials used to create it. Distinguish between natural materials undergoing processing, and artificial.
Natural raw materials include:
Artificial raw materials include:
- glass;
- cellulose;
- metal;
- basalt;
- slag.
What is cotton wool used for?
Also, cotton wool is subdivided according to the type of use:
- medical;
- clothing;
- technical;
- furniture;
- cushioning;
- sheet glued.
What is cotton wool?
How is cotton wool familiar to all of us from childhood made? First, the raw material is crushed and cleaned of impurities. Then the material is pressed into canvases of the required thickness.
Cotton wool is treated with special chemical solutions, thanks to which it acquires the well-known absorbency property, and also gets a characteristic whiteness.
Medical view
There are two types of medical cotton:
- hygroscopic;
- compress.
What is cotton wool substance of purified cotton raw materials, intended for effective cleansing of soft tissues with profuse purulent discharge and hemorrhage, is most often used when dressing open wounds over the top. The main property is good absorbency.
What is cotton wool? It is a material that is used to warm the bandaged part of the body with heating compresses, as well as to soften the surface when applying tires to damaged areas.
Sterile variety
This is medical cotton wool that has undergone steam or chemical sterilization, which allows it to be used on open wounds and burns with minimal risk of infection.
Thus, you learned what vata is, and what types it is divided into. Use only the material that suits you for its intended purpose.
The production of cotton wool is a rather laborious and costly business, so you should carefully weigh the pros and cons before starting such a business. The initial minimum costs will be at least 2.5-3 million rubles, but they will also pay off with a competent organization of activities in a fairly short time - somewhere within a year.
Cotton wool
Most of this pulp is imported to Russia from the leading cotton producing countries: India, China, Pakistan, USA, Uzbekistan, Brazil. Cotton wool is made from raw materials that are obtained after the processing of woolly cotton fruits. When the fruit of the plant ripens, the capsule opens. Inside it is a soft white fiber with seeds.
It is harvested, packaged and shipped to a ginnery where the fibers are separated from the seeds and sorted according to size. Those that have a length of 2-2.5 centimeters are used for the manufacture of fabrics, and shorter ones are used for the production of cotton wool.
Raw material options
The pulp can be made not only from cotton, but also from flax and wool. In terms of consumer qualities, linen wool is closer to cotton wool, but it is less widespread. There is also a pulp from a mixture of viscose and cotton. Viscose is one of the first artificially produced fibers, it is obtained by processing natural cellulose. It is highly hygroscopic (the ability to absorb moisture from the air), however, both manufacturers and consumers prefer natural materials, since they are less allergenic.
The production of wool from wool and cotton is carried out according to the same technological scheme. For the manufacture of cotton pulp, cotton is selected that has a grade not higher than the fourth, and also uses waste from primary processing of raw materials and indirect waste.
The most suitable is considered to be elastic low-size cotton, similar in texture to wool. But wool wool is made from natural pure fiber (sheep, camel, goat wool) or artificial with the addition of cotton.
Necessary equipment
It is not so easy to create your own cotton wool production. You will need separate premises for warehouses and a workshop, special equipment. The line for the processing of cotton fluff, low-grade fiber, cotton waste includes devices such as feeder, condenser, inclined cleaner, control station, hopper wadding machines, solid particle cleaner, air ducts, filters.
On the secondary market, the price of such a line will average 700-750 thousand rubles. If you want to buy new devices, then prepare at least 1.2-1.5 million rubles. Yes, not cheap! But such a line for processing raw materials per shift can be serviced by only three people.
For the manufacture of cotton wool products, you will need separate equipment. For the production of cotton pads and sticks, machines with automatic transport, functions for cutting sheets, stamping and transporting waste, drawing, embossing and an automatic dispenser will be needed.
Production of ordinary cotton wool
The fibrous mass used for sewing clothes differs from that used in medicine, both in raw materials and in production technology. Ordinary cotton wool is made from clogged waste - waste generated during the processing of textile fiber materials. First, they are cleaned of debris on a dusty top. Fibers of high stiffness are pre-split on multi-drum tweezers. Then the raw materials are loosened, mixed and, using special equipment, formed into canvases.
The basis of the canvases is formed by shapeless fibers, which the roller card transforms into cotton wool with a specific structure and thickness. The finished mass is examined for marriage, pressed and packed in bales of forty to fifty kilograms. In this form, the products are supplied to furniture and clothing factories.
Medical cotton making
This production has significant differences. The raw materials are first loosened and cleaned on a special loosening and cleaning apparatus. After that, it is boiled under pressure in alkali (at a temperature of no more than 130 degrees) and treated with sodium hyposulfite. As a result of this treatment, the physical structure of the fibers and their color change.
As a result of the removal of pectin and nitrogenous substances, the raw material loses its natural yellowish tint and becomes white, and also acquires characteristic properties, the main of which is hygroscopicity. Manufacturers of medical cotton wool should pay special attention to the quality of products, because they are used in medical practice and must be hygienic and sterile.
After performing the described actions, the fibers are processed in the same way as in the manufacture of ordinary cotton wool. But the work doesn't end there. At the last stage, the products are sterilized under pressure up to three atmospheres and at a temperature of 125 degrees. Then it is packed and sent to warehouses.
Making cotton swabs
You can immediately sell part of the received medical cotton wool, and send part to the production of medical devices, such as cotton swabs. In medical practice, in cosmetology, and in everyday life (when you need to clean hard-to-reach places), they are used quite widely.
For cosmetic purposes, by the way, you can make special sticks with a slightly sharpened one end. With the help of it it is very convenient, for example, to draw the contours of the eyes, lips or remove excess varnish from the nails. The other end of the product should be flat and rounded. It can be used as an applicator while applying eyeshadow.
Technological process
The production of cotton swabs begins with the manufacture of polyethylene (propylene can also be used) of their base on special devices that blow 500-2000 units of products per minute. The same machines wind cotton wool on a plastic base.
For this purpose, the fleece is divided into four strips. They are very thin; a meter weighs only about one or one and a half grams. The tape is passed through a funnel, which gives it volume, and is wound on a bobbin in this - fluffed - form. To speed up the production process, tapes are fed into the machine from two reels at once. The machine cuts off the cotton fibers and winds them around the pre-heated ends of the plastic base.
When heated, the plastic melts, and when it cools, it adheres well to the winding. If you use a different base, for example, in the manufacture of wooden sticks, you will have to glue cotton wool to the ends with glue, and this, of course, will increase the production cost.
An antibacterial solution is applied to finished products - this is the last stage of production. But you still need to sort out the defective products. Of course, doing it manually is problematic. Therefore, automatic sensors are used.
If you use faulty or cheap equipment, then in the packages that fall into the hands of consumers, there may be a large number of defective products, and this, as you yourself understand, will negatively affect your reputation. This is why product quality must be taken seriously. Samples of cotton swabs must be sent to a laboratory to verify the sterility and effectiveness of the applied antibacterial solution.
Production of cotton pads
Such products are also used in medicine and cosmetology. Usually, their surface is made embossed for the convenience of applying an ointment or some other agent to the skin. Unlike ordinary cotton wool, when wetted, the disc does not change its shape.
Products are made from bleached cotton. First, the raw material is placed in the feeder, then in the baking powder, where the cotton is separated into individual fibers. It is then sent to a large drum card where the fibers are combed out and formed into a fleece. Several of these canvases are layered and compressed under pressure.
The product is considered to be of higher quality, the more fleece canvases were used in production. The compressed layers are then passed through a special slitting machine into narrower strips. They, in turn, are passed through a machine that applies a textured pattern to the surface. This stage can be skipped, the disks do not have to have a raised surface, however, it is believed that consumer properties in this case will be reduced.
The resulting tapes are sent to a punching machine, which cuts out the pads of the required shape (by the way, not necessarily round). At the final stage, cotton pads are packaged in plastic bags using special equipment.
Mineral wool production
Such products have a completely different purpose and are manufactured using completely different equipment. It is used for the production of sound and heat insulating products or as a heat insulating material in industry and construction. The raw material is glass, blast-furnace slag melts or igneous rocks.
Manufacturing technology
- Coke and raw materials are loaded into the top of the cupola and lowered downwards, as a result they are converted into an alloy.
- A jet of liquid melt is split into fibers by centrifugal, blowing or combined method.
- In the deposition chamber, a mineral carpet is formed from the individual fibers, then the binding elements are dried and hardened.
Perhaps the most widely used type of mineral wool is stone (basalt). Its manufacturing technology is similar to the work of a volcano. Basalt wool production is carried out in a furnace at a temperature of 1500 degrees. First, a fiery liquid alloy is made from rocks, then it is pulled into a fiber and covered with a binder. Next, the carpet is heat-treated and cut into products of the required size.
White cotton wool
Cotton wool is widely used in the modern world. Most are used to seeing vata in medical settings, but vata is used in much larger areas. What is cotton wool made of?
By definition, cotton wool is a fluffy mass of fibers, loosely intertwined in different directions.
Vata is obtained in a natural and artificial way.
Vata is naturally obtained from:
- wool,
- silks,
- fluff,
- cotton,
- flax,
- hemp,
- pine trees,
- asbestos.
Artificial types of cotton wool:
- cellulose,
- glass,
- metal,
- slag,
- basalt.
Natural wool for its intended purpose is divided into clothing, furniture, technical (heat-insulating, fire-resistant, etc.), cushioning, sheet glued and medical.
In the manufacture of cotton wool, plant fibers are split, loosened and cleaned of impurities, the resulting fibrous mass is formed into so-called canvases on the machines of a loosening-scattering unit. The formless mass of fiber that makes up the canvas on a carding machine turns into a scrap of wool of a certain thickness.
In the production of medical cotton, the raw material is cooked in alkali under pressure and then processed with sodium hyposulfite. As a result, the fiber acquires whiteness and characteristic properties - the ability to quickly wet and absorb liquids.
Medical cotton wool is a fiber from outgrowths of epidermal cells of seeds (hairs) of cultivated cotton species, more than 95% composed of fiber.
Distinguish between hygroscopic and compress medical cotton wool. Absorbent cotton wool, white, easily exfoliates, is used as a material that absorbs liquid discharge (for example, pus) when dressing wounds over layers of dressing gauze. Depending on the purpose, the following types of absorbent wool are distinguished:
- Ocular. Made from 1st grade cotton fiber;
- Surgical. It is made from 3 grade cotton fiber, with the inclusion of 1 grade viscose fiber no more than 30%. It is one of the main dressing materials.
- Hygienic. It is made from cotton fiber of the 5th grade and cotton lint of the 1st grade (no more than 25%). Used for hygienic women's dressings.
Compressed cotton wool is used to warm a tied or bandaged part of the body (for example, with warming compresses), as well as a soft lining when applying splints, immobilizing bandages (for example, plaster casts).
Artificial cotton wool is widely used in construction as a heat and sound insulation material, in the chemical industry - for filtering liquids and gases.
Vata prima what it is. what is cotton wool in a mattress?
The question is far from idle. So the options are:
1. The classic filler consists of cotton wool, that is, a mixture of lint - short fiber of secondary processing obtained at a cotton ginnery, ulyuka - not until refined seeds of cotton and cotton fiber (bale weight - 200 kg.) At the moment, the requirements for the quality of Central Asian cotton wool are significantly deteriorated, lint and uluk prevail, find out% the content of these components. Only using the modern 5th grade of cotton, it is possible to make a "Soviet" army mattress, but the price is ...
Attention!!! Recently, cases of sales have become more frequent unscrupulous entrepreneurs (often intermediaries) under the guise of cotton mattresses made of natural cotton wool - mattresses made of PB. Don't be fooled - white PB is also PB.
2. What is regenerated fiber (RV) - the raw material obtained in the process of processing - razvlechenie on special units inter-pattern fallouts (scraps), garment waste and weaving waste. By color, PB can be white or mixed color.
Conventionally, the quality can be divided according to the type of equipment on which it is produced: on the morally and physically outdated Polish and Soviet - the razvoloknenka (PB) has a lumpy structure, not up to developed pieces of fabric (ticks) up to 8-10 cm and on modern up to 9 working drums where the processing takes place in a more gentle mode, the bale weight is 300 kg. - razvoloknenka of decent quality, the more technological transitions, the higher the quality and more dust-free products. Sewing waste cotton fabrics produce PBspecial, used for stuffing cotton mattresses requiring autoclaving.
3. A few words about shearing faux fur. These production wastes are actually fluff, which are very short in nature, pack up within a short time, have a persistent ability of fibers to migrate, even a dense cover is not an obstacle for them.
What are cotton pads made of?
Pressed products intended for. Most often they are round in shape, but they are also available in the shape of rectangles. The most common color is white, other colors are less common.
or wash off makeup. By saving us from bacteria and pollution, discs make our lives more comfortable.
- They are made from 100% cotton and do not contain impurities of synthetic fibers. Sometimes there are cotton pads with an admixture of viscose, which is used because of its high absorbency.
- The porous structure of the disc ensures maximum cleansing and absorption.
- Cotton pads are a completely safe and environmentally friendly product that does not cause allergies and irritations.
- The suitable shape makes the cotton pads easy to use.
- The relief structure allows the discs not to lose their shape when wet. They also don't deform with use.
Everything that is done with cotton wool can also be done with a cotton pad, only the disc is much more convenient. It doesn't matter what you do, wash off your makeup or get rid of the old one. And how convenient it is to do it forever! Vata has no chance of winning this fight!
Properties
- Absorbability (also known as absorbency). Determined by the volume of water that the cotton pad absorbs. Regardless of the type of cotton used to make the disc, the value varies from 17 to 21 g of water.
- Villi. High-quality cotton pads do not leave lint during use. This is a consequence of the hot steam used to "polish" the item.
- NS. The pH of the product must be neutral.
Package
On sale there are a different number of discs in one package - 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 120 pieces.
As for the packaging design, it is the same everywhere. This is a plastic cone-shaped pouch with a string for hanging. Perforation is applied to the lower part, which facilitates the opening process. Some manufacturers' packages are easier to open, others more difficult. You can't guess here - sometimes you just have to tear the plastic with your hands.
Application
Cotton pads are used for:
- applying tonics, lotions, compresses;
- cleaning the skin from impurities;
- removing makeup from the face;
- removing nail polish;
- making handicrafts and New Year's decorations - such an unusual application is invented by people with "crazy hands" for cotton pads. In order for the discs to “cope with the mission,” they are impregnated with paste and dried - the products become like soft cardboard.
Suppliers
Cotton pads or raw materials for their manufacture are brought to Russia from Poland, China, India, Uzbekistan, Brazil, and the USA.
Cotton wool. Benefits of cotton wool
Cotton, a plant whose fiber is used to make fabrics and cotton wool, has been familiar to mankind for thousands of years. Experts are still debating whether it originated in India or ancient Egypt. One thing is obvious - the material obtained from this plant is very necessary and useful for people, otherwise it would not have stayed with a person for so many years.
The list of benefits of cotton wool is not long, but expressive:
- Cotton wool is a natural material, proven for centuries, and therefore absolutely safe from an environmental point of view.
- There is no allergy to cotton wool. If you do not properly care for cotton products, dust can accumulate in them, as elsewhere. The reaction is often confused with allergies, but cotton wool is not allergenic.
- Cotton wool is the best way to keep warm. Despite the numerous inventions of chemists, nothing better than cotton wool for keeping warm has not yet been invented. The exception is peeled bird down, without feathers, but products made from it are very expensive.
- Cotton wool is a resilient material that absorbs moisture well.
- Products in which cotton filler is used do not require complex maintenance - they can be washed, dried, sterilized with steam. The main thing is to straighten the fibers after drying in order to restore elasticity and splendor to things.
- The cost of cotton wool is one of the lowest in comparison with other natural fillings. The production process worked out for centuries has made it possible to reduce the cost of this material and increase its quality, and new developments in this area still appear on the market from time to time.
Galileo video. Wool ☁ Сotton wool
Any living space should be warm. To maintain the required temperature, the room needs to be heated. To heat the room efficiently, you need mineral wool insulation.
What is rock wool?
The definition of mineral wool is fixed in GOST 31913-2011. According to him, mineral wool is a class of fibrous materials that are obtained from metal slags and molten rocks.
In fact, the concept of mineral wool is understood not as one material, but four:
- glass fiber;
- slag;
- stone wool;
- basalt wool.
All four types have a similar composition of mineral wool, however, differ in fiber length and thickness. Differences in structure determine the properties of the material. You need to understand what kind of mineral wool you need, because the area of application depends on its basic parameters, different types of mineral wool have different thermal conductivity, moisture resistance, resistance to mechanical stress, and so on.
Mineral wool insulation was used back in Soviet times as a reliable, high-quality and safe insulation material.
Mineral wool composition (What the mineral wool consists of):
- Mineral wool is based on various rocks. Gabbro-basalt and carbonate rocks are a by-product of metal production. They are used as raw materials for the production of glass wool fibers. Rocks make up 90% of the mineral wool. The remaining 10% is various additives.
- For a dense bundle of fibers, various binders are used. For these purposes, phenol-based resins and bentonite clay are used.
- From above, the material is covered with a thin layer of paper. Usually it is kraft paper with polyethylene or aluminum.
We have listed the main components of mineral wool (they comprise about 99% of all mineral wool products). To find out in more detail what kind of mineral wool is in front of you: its composition is indicated on the package.
Mineral wool: varieties
Next, we will tell you what kind of mineral wool is: everything exists four types of wool - glass wool, slag wool, stone and basalt wool... The last two types have excellent characteristics. The use of the first two types can only be justified by a modest project budget.
Glass wool
This is the most common mineral wool insulation. The thickness of the fiber of this type of wool is 5-15 micrometers, and the length is up to 5 centimeters. These characteristics make the cotton wool strong and resilient. Care must be taken when handling this material. If the fiber is damaged, the glass filaments can hurt a person. You also need to be careful not to inhale damaged fibers, as fiber particles can enter the lungs. For this reason, when working with this type of mineral wool, builders use special clothing - a respirator, goggles, gloves and a special protective suit.
Glass wool technical parameters:
Slag
The thickness of the fiber of this type of wool is 4-12 micrometers, and the length is 1.6 centimeters. This material (like glass wool) has a lot of fatal flaws that prevent it from being used as a heater. It has residual acidity. Because of this, such a material will easily interact with various metal surfaces, oxidizing them. This material absorbs moisture easily. Therefore, it cannot be used for cladding rooms, plastic and metal pipes. It is very prickly, which causes a lot of inconvenience during installation.
Technical parameters Slag:
Stone wool
What is this type of mineral wool made of: from gabbro and diabase, the thickness of the fiber of this type of wool is 5-12 micrometers, and the length is 1.6 centimeters. This material resembles slag wool in its properties. However, this material does not prick, which will be a big plus during installation. Stone wool does not absorb water well. Therefore, it can be used for heating sheathing of rooms.
Technical Parameters of Stone Wool:
Basalt wool
This type of material is also made from gabbro and diabase. Does not contain blast-furnace slags and various additives - dolomite, limestone and others. Basalt wool is usually wound in rolls. Mineral wool insulation does not deteriorate during rewinding. Due to its properties, the material can be used as insulation. This material is very difficult to ignite. If you bring it to a fire, the fibers will only melt, but the material itself will not burn.
Technical parameters of Basalt wool:
Mineral wool: types
Mineral wool is usually sold as solid slabs and mats. The use of mineral wool - lining of walls, ceilings and roofs. Minvata allows you to work with non-standard surfaces. Types of wool for insulation differ in density, in accordance with this difference, several brands are distinguished. There is light grade mineral wool, the density of which is up to 75 kilograms, but its scope is small.
Minvata brand P-75
Main characteristics:
- The density of the material is 75 kg per cubic meter. m.
- This soft mineral wool is used to insulate horizontal surfaces with a low load. An example of this type of surface is attics.
- This material is often wrapped around district heating, gas and oil pipes to retain heat.
Minvata brand P-125
Main characteristics:
- The density of the material is 125 kg per cubic meter. m.
- It is used for insulation of ceilings, floors, interior walls and partitions.
- The material has good sound insulation.
Minvata brand PZh-175
Main characteristics:
- The density of the material is 175 kg per cubic meter. m.
- It is used for thermal insulation of reinforced concrete and metal walls and ceilings.
Minvata brand PPZh-200
Main characteristics:
- The density of the material is 200 kg per cubic meter. m.
- The material is very dense and has increased rigidity.
- Thanks to special additives, it has high fire resistance.
- This construction mineral wool is commonly used for thermal insulation of reinforced concrete and metal walls and floors.
What are the main benefits of mineral wool?
This material is respected by common people and experienced builders. And this is no coincidence:
- High fire resistance. In the production of some varieties of cotton wool, only non-combustible melts of silicate rocks are used. This provides the material with a high degree of fire resistance. Such wool does not burn under the influence of high temperatures, and also does not deform. For this reason, mineral wool is sheathed in rooms where various flammable substances are stored.
- Resistant to chemicals. Cotton wool poorly enters into chemical reactions with various chemicals, which makes it possible to use it for cladding laboratories, various workshops, as well as school chemistry classes.
- Resistance to biological irritants. Neither fungi nor various harmful insects and rodents like mineral wool.
- Slight shrinkage. Many materials shrink over time, losing their original volume. This is especially critical for various joint structures, when a decrease in the size of one of the blocks can lead to a leak in the room. Mineral wool is free from this disadvantage.
- Extremely low hygroscopicity of some varieties of mineral wool. Hard rock wool absorbs up to 0.5% of liquid... For this reason, the material does not accumulate water.
- High vapor permeability. Vata passes various water vapors well. This allows unpleasant odors to be quickly removed from the room. Condensation will not settle on such cotton wool.
- High sound insulating properties. Such cotton wool can be used to sheathe the premises not only for the purpose of insulation, but also for the purpose of protecting the room from extraneous noise.
- Environmental friendliness. The material is safe for humans and does not cause any allergic reactions.
- Ease of installation. Mineral wool was made specifically to facilitate the insulation of the premises. Even an amateur builder can install this material.
- Durability. The service life is about 70 years, so you do not have to change the coating several years after installation.
What are the main disadvantages of mineral wool?
However, not everything is so smooth. Mineral wool has the following disadvantages:
- If the fibers are damaged, fragments of glass wool can hurt a person. The damaged fibers are often very small. Inhalation of damaged fibers can damage the lungs and airways. The solution to this drawback is very simple - buy a protective suit, gloves, goggles and a respirator.
- Mineral wool often contains formaldehyde resin.... Under prolonged exposure to high temperatures, it can oxidize to phenol, which is a poison. Therefore, when installing in not very safe conditions, experienced builders recommend wearing protective clothing and a gas mask.
Also remember that types of mineral wool such as stone and basalt, are free from these disadvantages.
Mineral wool: scope
Mineral wool is used as a building material. It is also used to insulate walls, pipes and various structures. Sometimes mineral wool is used to create sound insulation, but only basal wool has good noise-canceling properties.
Building materials: mineral wool
In construction, mineral wool is mainly used as a heater. With its help, they create a special wall cladding that does not let cold air into the room, but retains warm air. Usually, the walls are sheathed from the inside, but sometimes some types of cotton wool are also used to sew the walls from the outside. Cotton wool is also used to insulate gas-carrying pipes on the streets and in the entrances of houses.
Insulation mineral wool: slabs
There are various types of mineral wool for insulation, however, you need to give your preference to mineral wool slabs. And that's why:
- The slabs are easy and convenient to cut.
- Plates are easy to transport and do not require any special maintenance.
- Slabs can be laid on uneven surfaces to hide imperfections in load-bearing walls.
How to install mineral wool safely?
When installing mineral wool, you must follow these rules:
- Wear a protective suit, respirator, goggles and gloves.
- When working with the material, cover it with PVC film that allows steam to pass through.
- Give preference to materials from a reliable manufacturer.
- To create a mineral wool insulation - plates will help you.
- Remember that formaldehyde resin does not oxidize at room temperature.
- If you will be working in high ambient temperatures, opt for basalt wool, which does not release phenol when oxidized.
How to choose a good mineral wool?
When choosing mineral wool, use the following tips from experienced builders:
- Give preference to European cotton wool. The reason for this choice is simple - in the territory of the European Union there is a rather strict certification system in which mineral wool manufacturers cannot release their product on the market without preliminary tests. Yes, German quality is not a myth, but just a simple consequence of pragmatic European laws. Examples of European wool manufacturers are URSA, Rockwool, PAROC, ISOVER and others.
- If you need mineral wool, the plates will help you. You can buy cotton wool in rolls, but it is more difficult to transport.
- It doesn't really matter when the mineral wool was made, as it usually has a shelf life of at least 50 years.
- The price of cotton wool directly depends on its density. The explanation is simple - it is much more difficult to make a denser material than a less dense one, which greatly affects the final cost of the product.
- Give your preference to stone and basalt wool. Glass wool and slag wool, although they are very cheap, have a lot of disadvantages. This is both low thermal insulation and low noise insulation. During installation, many problems can arise associated with damage to the fibers of the material. If a piece of fiber gets on your skin, it will ache and itch.
- If mineral wool is too expensive, using a used one will solve your problem.
- The direction of the fibers is of great importance. It is not recommended to use material with a horizontal arrangement of fibers (and such material is quite rare). The vertical arrangement of the fibers improves the heat and sound insulation characteristics of the product. If the fibers in the cotton are randomly located, then it will withstand high loads.
- Be sure to check the box with the seal material confirming GOST. Also check with your retailer to find out what the mineral wool you want to buy is made of.
- Don't trust sellers. Suppose you need a 5 cm thick slab. Go to the seller and tell them that you need a 5 cm thick slab. When the seller brings the stove, ask to open the box to personally verify that the stove matches your order. If the seller discourages you, do not listen to him, you know better.
- To find out what mineral wool is made of, pay attention to the composition indicated on the package.
When installing mineral wool, use the following tips from experienced builders:
- To insulate a simple flat roof, lay the mineral boards in two layers. The fact is that in winter the roof freezes the most, it will need additional protection.
- Use granulated cotton wool for soundproofing wooden structures.
- To create heat-insulating "wet" type insulation, use lamellar mineral wool.
- If you are making a roof with a water drain, buy a slab with a variable cross-section.
- Use a pencil to mark the slabs. This will greatly simplify cutting and measuring.
How to properly transport mineral wool?
Rolls are formed from the mats, and the plates are collected in packs of several pieces (their number in one package depends on the thickness of the material). An average pack of slabs has an area of 0.35 square meters, and the weight of such a package ranges from 10 to 70 kilograms. More accurate data is usually stored in the seller's directory.
Use a hacksaw to cut the mineral wool into pieces. Mark the material with a pencil before cutting. It is advisable to cut the cotton wool in rolls before wrapping. It is advisable to cut the plates separately.
For the transportation of glass wool and slag wool, use closed-type machines so that various precipitates do not wet the material. Store this material in a dry place. Stone and basalt wool does not need such careful maintenance, as it does not absorb moisture well. During transportation, the cotton wool decreases slightly in volume, since it is in a compressed state. Mineral wool is quite easy to damage, so walking on it is not recommended. Place the cotton wool in the slabs one on top of the other, but so that the total height does not exceed two meters.
Conclusions about Mineral Wool as a heater.
Mineral wool is good for warming the premises. Minvata is a special material that complies with GOST 31913-2011. Mineral wool is made from rock melts with the addition of slags. There are four main types of materials - glass wool, slag wool, stone wool and basalt wool. The first two types are cheap, but they get wet easily and have poor sound insulation properties. The last two types keep warm well, do not let in noise.
Mineral wool: application.
When installing mineral wool, it is advisable to wear a protective suit, glasses, gloves and a gas mask. The explanation is that damaged fibers can easily injure. Also, do not inhale dust particles with fragments of mineral fibers into the lungs. One of the main parameters of the slabs is its density. A very dense slab will withstand heavy loads, but it will cost you a pretty penny. And vice versa - if the density of the slab is low, it will not cost you much. Light mineral wool is practically not used because it cannot withstand heavy loads. The use of mineral wool depends on the task you are facing.
The use of mineral wool has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of all types of plates include ease of installation, resistance to chemical and biological influences, environmental friendliness and good vapor permeability. Fire resistance, good heat and sound insulating properties are also true for stone and basalt wool. The disadvantages of the plates include the presence of prickly fibers and formaldehyde resins in their composition. The former can hurt a person, and formaldehyde resins can oxidize to the toxic substance phenol. However, stone and basalt varieties are practically devoid of these shortcomings.
When choosing cotton wool, give preference to European manufacturers, since there is a serious certification system in the European Union. Don't skimp on cotton wool - buy reliable and expensive cotton wool. When choosing, also pay attention to the direction of the mineral fibers. If you need a dense material - choose a board with a chaotic arrangement of fibers, if you need a material with high heat and sound insulating properties - give preference to a vertical arrangement of fibers. Before buying, be sure to check the product for the presence of a seal confirming GOST. During the purchase, check the technical parameters of the material manually and do not trust the sellers.
Cotton wool is sold in two types - in the form of slabs and in the form of mats. The mats are wound into rolls; the plates are put in special boxes. If you bought glass wool or slag wool, transport them in closed vehicles to avoid accidental rainfall. Before cutting, draw a pencil line directly over the surface of the material. You need to cut the material with a hacksaw.
Home insulation is an urgent problem of our time. Not only in new buildings, but also in old housing stock, people are trying to reduce heating costs. Continuously rising energy prices put significant pressure on the family budget, widening the gap between income and expenses.
Having qualitatively insulated our house or apartment, we will provide comfort for ourselves and our loved ones. The amount on the virtual "counter" of savings after this work will grow every year.
The only question that needs to be answered correctly is what material to use to keep warm in your home? Answering it, we will consider stone wool and evaluate its advantages and disadvantages.
What is stone wool made of?
This material is made from basalt, a rock of volcanic origin. In order to obtain a soft fiber from a hard stone, it is melted. After that, the red-hot mass is separated into fibers using various technologies (blowing, swathing, spinning and centrifugal drawing).
The resulting semi-finished product has one significant drawback: basalt fibers crumble, it is impossible to form a single mass of them. Therefore, in the next step, an adhesive is introduced into the fiber.
Most often, phenol-formaldehyde resin is used in this capacity. It connects the fibers together, allowing you to form a carpet of the desired thickness. Further, the material is rendered water-repellent by treating it with mineral oil. The last operations are the cutting of the insulation and its packaging.
It should be noted that the term stone wool is not often used in the construction market. The names more familiar to the mass buyer are mineral wool and basalt wool. To avoid confusion, remember that we are talking about the same material obtained from basalt rock.
Another note: basalt mineral wool should not be confused with glass wool and slag wool. The first type of insulation is obtained from molten glass. The raw material for the second is blast-furnace slags. Today, mineral wool has practically ousted its closest competitors. Glass wool is noticeably inferior to it in terms of environmental friendliness. The quality of slag is low, so the demand for it has dropped.
Properties, types and characteristics of stone wool
Remaining in essence a natural stone, basalt wool has acquired the best qualities of insulation. It inherited its resistance to fire and high temperature from rock. This material is not afraid of the aggressive effects of acids. The oil treatment made it impervious to moisture.
The fibrous structure provided the material with excellent heat and sound insulating properties and good vapor permeability - a very important characteristic of any insulation.
Speaking about insulation with stone wool, many argue about the environmental friendliness of this material. The reason for concern is the phenol-formaldehyde resin, which is part of its composition and glues the fibers. However, upon closer examination, doubts are dispelled.
The mass fraction of glue in this insulation does not exceed 3%. Studies carried out by the sanitary control authorities have confirmed the safety of mineral wool for health.
The main guideline for the consumer in the issue of environmental friendliness is the products of certified manufacturers, strictly observing raw material proportions and technology.
The main characteristic of the insulation is density. Its heat-insulating ability is directly related to it. In addition, density is essential during installation.
According to this indicator, the material is divided into three categories:
- soft (rolled and slab) - 10-50 kg / m3;
- semi-rigid (plate) - 60-80 kg / m3;
- rigid (plate) - 90-175 kg / m3.
For the classification of insulation boards, the alphanumeric designations "brands" are used. The letters indicate the degree of rigidity (soft - PM, semi-rigid - PP, hard RV). The numbers indicate the density (kg / m3). The most common brands are PM-40, PM-50, PP-70, PP-80, PZh 100, PZh-120.
Main characteristics of TechnoNicol Rocklight basalt slabs - a popular universal material for private construction.
Soft rolled cotton wool (thermal conductivity coefficient 0.033 W / m * C) is used for insulation of interfloor floors, frame partitions, pipelines.
A semi-rigid slab (0.039 W / m * C) is placed in multilayer sandwich panels, attached to ceilings, ventilated facades and roofs.
Rigid insulation (0.046 W / m * C) is used where the surface is subjected to mechanical stress (floors, flat operated roofs, foundations, underground pipelines).
Basalt wool has good sound-absorbing qualities. Its fibrous structure actively dampens acoustic air vibrations, reducing the noise level in the room. It is used as sound insulation in internal frame partitions. For external facing of facades, it acts as a heat and sound absorber.
The sound absorption coefficient of the material ranges from 0.87 to 0.95. When buying, pay attention to it. The higher the value, the better the material dampens the sound.
According to the geometric dimensions, there is no single classification for mineral wool. Each manufacturer offers its own "line" of insulation. Different brands only have the same material thickness - 50, 100, 150 and 200 mm.
Three types of stone wool are produced: rolled, in slabs and shaped (in the form of a round shell for insulating pipelines). To improve the heat-reflecting qualities and protection from external influences, rolled mineral wool is used, on the surface of which a layer of metal foil is glued.
The length of the roll material can be from 3 to 50 meters, with a width of 0.6 to 1.5 m.The slab (semi-rigid and rigid) is produced with a width of 60 to 120 cm and a length of 120 to 150 cm.
According to the level of vapor permeability, there is also no strict gradation. This indicator is indicated in the certificate and can take a value from 0.3 to 0.55 mg / m hPa. The higher it is, the better the material allows water vapor to pass through.
According to the degree of fire safety, basalt wool belongs to the category of non-combustible materials (NG), withstanding direct heating up to a temperature of +1100 C.
Advantages and disadvantages of stone wool
Having considered the main characteristics of this material, one can draw conclusions about its advantages and disadvantages.
The positive qualities of mineral wool include:
- High thermal insulation capacity;
- Good steam permeability;
- Fire safety;
- Biostability;
- Environmental friendliness;
- Durability;
- Ease of installation.
The main disadvantage of basalt wool appears at the installation stage. When working with it, dust is formed, consisting of small particles of stone fibers. They enter the respiratory system, causing coughing and irritation. Removing dust damage is easy. To do this, use standard personal protective equipment (masks or respirators). Also, the considerable cost of the material can be attributed to negative factors.
Installation rules
Most often, mineral wool is used for external insulation of walls, attic floors and roofs. For thermal insulation of the foundation, foam is better - an inexpensive and fairly rigid material that does not allow water to pass through.
Failure to adhere to technology is costly!
Stone wool for the facade of a wooden house is mounted after the walls have been treated with an antiseptic, which protects them from decay. The surface of foam concrete and bricks is cleaned of old paint and peeling plaster before insulation. The work of installing insulation is best done in the warm season on dry walls.
All window sills and door trims must be removed prior to installation. Since the thickness of the walls after sheathing with mineral wool will increase, you will have to buy new elements of window and door cladding.
Dry installation of insulation in the frame
There are two methods of insulation with stone wool: dry and wet. The first involves the use of a wooden or steel frame (lathing), in the cells of which insulation is laid. In the second method, the slabs are attached to the walls without a frame using glue and disc dowels.
"Wet" installation option
It should be noted that installation in a frame is most often used when installing a ventilated facade. The lathing allows you to create a gap between the insulation and the outer cladding (4-6 cm), through which water vapor is discharged into the atmosphere.
The disc dowel is used for both dry and wet installation.
Mineral wool is placed on glue and dowels in cases where a finishing layer (plaster, putty) will be applied on its surface.
Dry installation technology (ventilated facade)
When assembling the frame, its slats are placed so that the distance between them is 1-2 cm less than the width of the slab or roll of basalt wool. In this way, a tight fit is achieved. The work on installing the battens begins from the corners of the building, using a level and a cord to install the rails in one plane.
The roll is rolled from top to bottom. Plates, on the contrary, are placed from bottom to top. Having filled all the rows of the crate with insulation, a vapor barrier film is fixed to it, which serves as a wind protection. The joints of the film canvases are glued with construction tape. After that, holes are drilled in the wall and plastic dowels are hammered into them, fixing the mineral wool and the wind barrier.
The next operation is to attach counter-battens (the second lathing) to the frame, which create a ventilated gap between the insulation and the external facing of the facade.
Construction of wall insulation by dry method (ventilation facade)
The general rule for installing mineral wool slabs is to prevent the joints of the insulation from coinciding with the corners of door and window openings.
Basalt slabs can be placed in one or two layers. It all depends on the chosen thickness of insulation.
In some guides, double-layer installation is suggested as a way to protect the joints from blowing. In this case, the plates are mounted so that the upper ones cover the joints between the lower ones. With this option, the lathing has to be placed in two rows, perpendicular to one another.
With a two-layer installation, maximum tightness of insulation is achieved
Wet installation method
With this option, the main role is played by the glue that fixes the mineral wool slabs to the wall. It must have good vapor transmission so that condensation does not accumulate in the insulation. Be sure to consider this point when buying. The market offers special adhesives designed for working with stone wool.
The work sequence for the wet method is shown in the figure.
Constructive insulation of walls with basalt wool on glue solution
The installation of the slabs begins after the installation of the starting profile, which covers the slabs from below and prevents them from slipping until the adhesive has set.
A layer of glue is evenly distributed over the slab with a notched trowel and then pressed against the wall. Having installed a horizontal row, the insulation is additionally fixed with plastic disc dowels.
After finishing the wall cladding, a layer of glue is also applied to the surface of the material and a reinforcing fiberglass mesh is embedded in it. After leveling the surface with a rule, the solution is allowed time to dry. The final operation is plastering.
Manufacturers and prices
In recent years, a whole “cage” of manufacturers of high-quality stone wool has formed on the market. These are foreign brands Isover(Isover), Rockwool(Rockwool) Paroc(Park). A domestic company competes on an equal footing with them TechnoNIKOL... Also, the products of the Russian company have earned a good reputation. Izovol(Izovol).
The range of products manufactured by them covers all areas of insulation, from the basement to the roof.
For a correct comparison, consider the price for 1m2 of 10 cm thick heaters for universal use offered by different companies:
- Rockwool LIGHT BATTS SCANDIC(37 kg / m3) 170-190 rubles / m2;
- Isover WARM WALL MASTER(38-48 kg / m3) 160-200 rubles / m2;
- Paroc EXTRA(30-34 kg / m3) from 200 / m2;
- TechnoNIKOL ROCKLIGHT(30-40 kg / m3) from 160 / m2;
- Izovol L-35(35 kg / m3) from 160 / m2.