IE57270B1

IE57270B1 - Mineral fibre product for use as an insulating panel or insulating strip

Info

Publication number: IE57270B1
Application number: IE1382/86A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Saint Gobain Isover
Priority date: 1985-06-01
Filing date: 1986-05-26
Publication date: 1992-07-01
Also published as: FI862290A0; FI862290A; CH669004A5; DK254986A; PT82684A; ATA146586A; GB2177048A; DK254986D0; GR861416B; FR2582697A1; NL8601351A; SE8602436L; IT1204886B; FR2582697B1; SE461340B; LU86450A1; GB8612507D0; ES297005U; IE861382L; DK165421B

Abstract

Mineral fibre products are more often than not, in order to improve their surface appearance, given at least one surface layer. The present invention, on the other hand, proposes a mineral fibre product in the form of an insulating panel or insulating strip in which a pressure distributing surface layer (glass fleece 3) is provided which ensures the required stability of form of the product, whereas the weight per unit of volume of the bonded mineral fibre layer (2) only need be designed according to the requirements of a specific heat conductivity category.

Description

The invention relates to a mineral fibre product for use i as an insulating, panel or insulating strip with a resilient main layer of bonded mineral fibres and at least one surface layer.

More often than not, for purposes of surface improvement, such mineral fibre products are given a surface layer, tp serve for example as splash protection, decorative facing and as a safeguard against flowing media. Paper, foils of aluminium or synthetic plastics materials may form such surface layers, for example according to. page 2 of DIM 52270.

On the other hand, there are already available a number of insulating panels in which a main layer of bonded mineral fibres is combined with surface layers of 15 different materials after the fashion of a sandwich. For example, Swiss Patent Specification No.597 453 describes a sound absorbing panel consisting of mineral fibres with I a raw density of between 70 and 90 kg/cu.m. which has a glass fibre fabric on its visible side. The mineral 20 fibre product which serves as a ceiling panel has on its back what is referred tp as a glass fibre skin, which may also mean a layer of pressed-together glass fibre particles and resin. In addition to improving the sound absorbing properties, the glass fibre skin in this case is intended to contribute towards strengthening the board, which in turn means that larger panels can be used to span larger areas so that there are fewer joints in the ceiling which might be a source of leaks in the soundproofing.

Furthermore, AT-PS No.187,640 describes a mineral fibre product used as an insulating panel or insulating strip comprising an elastic main layer of bonded glass fibres and a kind of surface layer consisting of so-called bundles of glass fibres which are disposed parallel with at equal distance, e.g. i to 6 cm, from the surface of the panel or strip, preferably being arranged in the longitudinal direction thereof. Such a surface layer is intended to increase the tensile strength in the direction of the reinforcement so that this product can be relatively thin and bent with a small radios of curvature. This latter also relates to the instance of application indicated therein, i.e. such mineral fibre products are mainly conceived for insulating pipes and cables, these mineral fibre products being intended for use especially in conjunction with bitumen so that the product becomes combustible viewed from the aspect of building technology.

Finally, DOS 33 15 901 discloses a multi-layer lightweight building panel consisting of a main layer of rock or glass wool comprising one or two surface layers of magnesia or cement bonded wood wool. Apart from the combustibility of these products, these are rigid panels t which can be neither bent nor rolled up. > It is on this premise that the invention is based which sets out to resolve the problem of providing a noncombustible keenly priced mineral fibre product which has the weight per unit volume necessary to comply with a specific heat conductivity category according to DIN 18165 (e.g. Group 040 or 035) but which is nevertheless so dimensionally stable that the product can be very easily handled and fixed to walls of buildings, for example, by means of wall plugs.

According to the present invention, this problem is easily resolved by a mineral fibre product for use as an insulating panel or insulating strip comprising a 20 flexible main layer of bonded mineral fibres and at least one surface layer, wherein the main layer i . comprises a mineral fibre layer with a weight per unit volume of less than or equal to 40 kg./cu.m, lined with a . % pressure distributing surface layer, in the form of a flexible plastically non-deformable flat glass fleece having a weight per unit of area of 30 to 110 g/sq.m.

The present invention accordingly provides a mineral fibre product for use as an insulating panel or insulating strip comprising a flexible main layer of bonded mineral fibres and at least one surface layer, wherein the main ? layer comprises a mineral fibre layer with a weight per unit volume of less than or equal to 40 kg./cu.m, lined < with a.pressure distributing surface layer, in the form of 4 flexible plastically non-deformable flat glass fleece having a weight per unit of area of 30 to 110 g/sq.m.

An insulating panel or insulating strip constructed in this way offers a number of serious advantages over the state of the art and in fact the mineral fibre layer which serves as a main layer becomes so rigid by the surface layer applied onto it that it is possible only to provide for the vital weight per unit volume which is decisive for a specific heat conductivity category, i.e. . the higher weight per unit of volume otherwise used as a rule only to provide a certain stability in the 20 insulating panel or insulating strip is no longer necessary. Furthermore, the glass fleece should preferably be open to vapour diffusion and its irregularly disposed glass fibres should, for fire reasons, be bonded to one another by means of a limited 25 quantity or organic binder.

« Particularly when using the insulating panel according to J the invention for rear ventilated facades of buildings, it could be possible, for example in the case of a product which comes within the heat conductivity category 040, to achieve with a weight per unit volume of 15 kg/cu.m. the same stability of form as otherwise with a corresponding product with no pressure distributing surface layer but which has a weight per unit volume of 25 kg/cu.m. Zn addition to this saving on weight, the new insulating panel is also characterised by high flexural strength, i.e. it does not become detached when applied to an overhanging support, so simplifying < installation on a building site, for example at high wind j speeds.

When the insulating panel according to the invention is used for rear ventilated facades - hereinafter referred . to briefly as facade insulating panels - the surface layer provided at the same time achieves a more rigid surface on the weather side so that abrasion of fibres cannot take place either during installation or during the working time; also, the surface layer on the weather side repels any heavy rain which may occur during installation. Finally, in comparison with prior art facade insulating panels, by virtue of the improved rigidity, larger dimensions than hitherto are possible which reduces the number of joints and thus also the number of wall plugs normally used for fixing the panels.

It goes without saying that this factor also applies if the size of the panels is the same as hitherto, because the surface layer has a pressure distributing effect.

Finally, it is possible with the facade insulating panels according to the invention more easily to even out any irregularities in the underlying surface of the bare facade wall, because the main layer has a lower weight per unit volume than previously, i.e. it is possible to r use it advantageously for compensating for any building tolerance. in the event of the mineral fibre product according to the invention being constructed in the form of an insulating strip and then again if the insulating strip is to be used for so-called core insulation, i.e. as an insulation between double-skinned building walls, then the weight per unit volume of the main layer may be advantageously chosen between 10 and 30 kg/cu.m., two preferred products having a weight per unit volume of 15 or 25 kg/cu.m. For a number of reasons such as reduction in transport and storage costs, fewer joints and thus 15 fewer heat bridges, it is expedient when the insulating strip is a preliminary product, to wind it up into a roll which may be 3 to 10 m long. This once again is possible by reason of the crude density of the main layer which is less than hitherto, because the main layer can be more / 20 easily compressed as a result. β - Further details and advantages of the invention are explained in greater detail and described hereinafter with reference to examples of embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.1 is a perspective view of a mineral fibre product in the form of a facade insulating panel with a surface layer applied to one side; Fig.2 shows a cross-section through the wall of a building with a back ventilated facade cladding according to the section taken on the line II-IZ in Fig.3 in which the facade insulating panel according to Fig.l is provided; Fig.3 is a perspective view of a comer zone of a building with a not yet quite completed back 15 ventilated facade cladding in which the facade insulating panel according to Fig.l is used; Fig.4 shows a cross-section through a double-skinned wall of a building which as a further exaaple of the embodiment comprises an insulating strip used as a so-called core insulating felt and provided with a surface layer on one side; Fig.1 shows an insulating panel 1 comprising a main layer 2 and a surface layer 3 applied thereto. The main layer 2 of the insulating panel 1 consists of phenol resin bonded and hydrophobicized glass fibres and has in the present case, as a so-called facade insulating panel, preferably a weight per unit volume of 15 kg/cu.m.

Serving as the surface layer is a glass fleece open to vapour diffusion and having a weight per unit area of around 50 g/sg.m. and of which the irregularly orientated glass fibres are connected to one another by an organic binder of which the quantity is limited. Of course, the main layer 2 can also consist of rock fibres or other ) mineral fibres.

The insulating panel 1 which, in the present embodiment according to Figs.2 and 3, serves to insulate backventilated facades normally has a panel size of 1250 x 600 miA expedient panel thickness in this case being in steps of 30 to 100 mm, i.e. the thickness will depend upon the application involved and upon the desired values in terms of heat permeability. The insulating panel 1, according to DIN 18165, falls into the heat conductivity group 040 and has a high flexural strength. Furthermore, it complies with the requirements of building material class A2, which means non-combustible according to DIN 4102.

Fig.2 shows a cross-section through a building wall 4 comprising a back-ventilated facade cladding 5. Such cladding is used both for heat insulation and also sound insulation and is intended furthermore to have an aesthetic appearance. It is intended to fulfil these functions under all ambient conditions and furthermore should not age in course of time.

The insulating layer of the facade cladding 5 in Figs. 2 and 3 is in each case constituted by a plurality of adjacent rows of insulating panels 1 which are fixed by per se known plate-shaped plugs 6 to the housing wall 4, in fact so that the surface layer 3 is on the outside. Afterwards, the actual facade surfacing, e.g. in the form of panels 7, are applied, being in turn so fixed to the building wall 4 by means of suitable anchors 8 that a rear ventilating gap 9 remains between these panels 7 and ? the insulating panels 1. By reason of the dimensional stability of the insulating panels 1 according to the invention, it is possible to guarantee this rear ventilation gap 9 as being, for example, of 2 cm.

Furthermore, due to the stability of form of the insulating panels 1, it is possible to reduce the tolerances hitherto envisaged for such rear ventilation gaps, this also because for example the facade insulating panels used hitherto, which had no surface layer, had 15 relatively soft panel corners so that when plate-shaped plugs 6 were used in the corner abutting zones designated 10 in Fig.3, the panel corners were able to slip out of the plates of these plugs and thus not only constituted a visual disturbance when the building was inspected but 20 also represented points of imperfection from the heat technology point of view and also narrowed the back ventilation gap 9. These disadvantages are now overcome by the top layer 3 envisaged by the invention since the top layer imparts to the insulating panels 1 excellent 25 edge strength so that the insulating panels 1 can be held perfectly, particularly in the corner joint zones 10.

Furthermore, the top layer 3 provided permits of better installation checks, i.e. the earlier freehand application of plugs did not make it impossible for some of the plugs 6 to be placed too low down. Once again, the result of such misplacement was excessive localized s compression of such insulating panels so that the heat / insulation effect was impaired in these areas; also, a poorer overall picture resulting. Now, on the other hand, if the plugs 6 are set too low down, there is a deformation of the top layer 3, which becomes visible by reason of the crease formation so that better inspection of installed panels is possible.

Fig.4 shows as a further example of embodiment a doubleskinned wall of a building with an inner skin 11 and an 15 outer skin 12, between which is inserted an insulating strip 13 to serve as a so-called core insulating felt and which has a surface layer applied to one side. The construction of a double-skinned brick wall with a mineral fibre heat insulating layer between the skins is already known to represent the ideal structurallyphysical solution for the outside wall due to the clear separation of functions into bearing structures, heat insulation and moisture protection. In the case of the fe present example, the insulating strip 13 is provided without any particular air gap between the outer skin 12 and the insulating strip 13. This is possible on the one hand since the main layer 2 of the insulating strip 13 is hydrophobicized and on the other it is possible because the surface layer 3 diverts downwardly any moisture which penetrates the outer skin 12. The outer skin 12 is in the usual manner held by wife anchors 14 against the inner akin 11, the insulating strip 13 being fitted onto the wire anchors 14 before the outer skin 12 is erected. After the insulating strip 13 has been fitted onto the wire anchors 14, so-called drip plates 15 are placed on the wire anchors 14 and can at the same time be advantageously used for adjusting a specific limit to the thickness of the insulating layer 13.

In the case of the present example of embodiment, the weight per unit volume of the main layer 2 of the insulating strip 13 was advantageously reduced from 23 kg/cu.m. to 15 kg/cu.m by using the surface layer 3 in the form of a glass fleece with a weight per unit area of 50 g/sq/m., the requirements of, for example, heat conductivity group 040 being satisfied in both cases.

If a so-called fleece lined core insulating felt is used as an insulation between double-skinned walls of buildings, it is particularly advantageous to use ; insulating strips having a length of 3 to 10 m which, as a preliminary product, are rolled up into a roll. In 25 addition to facilitating laying, and providing fewer joints and thus fewer heat bridges, it is possible without problem to insulate wall corners, since by virtue of its flexibility the fleece lining in conjunction with the relatively low bulk weight of the main layer means that the insulating strip can easily be laid around the wall corners, i.e. it will fit easily around them.

To sum up, the basic idea on which the present invention is based resides in that in the case of a mineral fibre product only that bulk weight need be provided which is necessary for classification in a specific heat conductivity category per DIN 18165, a stability of form of product required by the particular application being achieved by a suitable surface layer being applied like a lining. This means that this basic idea can also be carried into effect for other instances of application such as, for example, in the case of so-called industrial ceiling panels for visible installation of so-called grid T rails. With such insulating measures it may, for example, also be desirable for installed industrial ceiling panels according to this invention to support additional insulation in the form a loosely applied mineral fibre felt so that the bulk weight is higher than that provided by the panels alone. For example, a total bulk weight of 50 kg./cu.m, would be conceivable in such a case.

Claims

1. A mineral fibre product for use as an insulating panel or insulating strip comprising a flexible main layer of bonded mineral fibres and at least one surface layer, wherein the main layer comprises a mineral fibre layer with a weight per unit volume of less than or equal to 40 kg./cu.m, lined with a pressure distributing surface layer, in the form of a flexible plastically nondeformable flat glass fleece having a weight per unit of area of *30 to 110 g/sg.m.

2. A mineral fibre product according to Claim 1, wherein the glass fleece is open to vapour diffusion, the irregularly present glass fibres being connected to one another by means of a limited quantity of organic binder.

3. A mineral fibre product according to either of Claims 1 or 2, wherein the main layer comprises glass fibres or rock fibres. °

4. A mineral fibre product according to any of Claims 1 to 3, in the form of an insulating panel for use as an insulating panel for rear-ventilated facades of buildings with the main layer having a weight per unit volume of 10 to 30 kg/cu.m. and preferably of 15 to 25 kg/cu.m.

5. A mineral fibre product according to any of Claims 1 to 3 in the form of an insulating strip for use as insulation between double-shelled building walls in which -15the main layer has a weight per unit volume of 10 to 30 kg/cu.m. and preferably 15 to 25 kg/cu.m.

6. A mineral fibre product according to Claim 5, wherein the insulating strip has a length of 3 to 10 m and is 5 rolled up.

7. A mineral fibre product according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the main layer is provided on both sides with a surface layer.

8. A composite product according to Claim 1, 10 substantially as described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A wall construction including A composite product . according to Claim 1, the whole substantially as described with reference to and as shown in Figures 2 and 3 or 15 Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings. MACLACHLAN & DONALDSON Applicants* Agents 47 Merrion Square DUBLIN 2