International Appliance Manufacturing 2008 - (Page 46) Figure 2: Impact of fiber diameter on the k-value of Lydall Manniglas® products. k-value of various Lydall Engineered Materials at different temperatures. Note that the lower the k-value, the better the insulating property. The material chosen will vary based on the application temperature. So what affects the k-value of a material? Insulations work by holding air still and blocking infrared heat transfer. Physical properties such as fiber diameter, density, and product uniformity – which are often overlooked – will impact k-value, hence thermal performance of an appliance. Figure 2 illustrates the extent to which fiber diameter can impact k-value. The primary difference between these Lydall materials is fiber diameter, where Manniglas® 1200 has the smallest and Manniglas® 2000 the largest. Notice that as the fiber diameter decreases, the k-value correspondingly decreases, consequently improving the thermal performance. Therefore, understanding k-value is one element of enhancing appliance performance. temperature, handling needs, health & safety requirements, ease of use/assembly, long term durability, compression resistance, recycling needs, and of course, cost. Having an insulation partner that understands material properties… the impact of these materials in appliance applications… has a broad range of materials available… and is continuously developing materials to meet the growing demands of the appliance market… is critical. As an example, insulation “fit and form” can have a more significant impact on the final solution than k-value. Installation Insulation… beyond k-value! Although k-value is a critical physical property, there are many others factors that determine and drive material selection. These include but are not limited to: use 46 International Appliance Manufacturing 2008
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