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Over the last 30 years, North American high-temperature calcium silicate insulation has undergone a multitude of changes. Some of the changes were visible, such as the product’s color; it has been white, off-white, pink, blue, gold, had a green stripe, and had gold mica flakes – all to identify that it was asbestos-free. However, there have also been changes to the product that are not as visible to the eye. Did you know that in the last 30 years, JM Thermo-1200® calcium silicate has become water-resistant, added corrosion inhibitors, and is now offered in a curved segment configuration for large diameter (30” – 126”) equipment?
Each of these changes improves the functionality and usability of calcium silicate insulation and should also influence specification decisions. For example, the water-resistance of Thermo-1200 can play an important role during installation. The weather during an install can always be a problem. In fact, many contractors have preemptive plans in place for protecting the insulation during inclement weather, regardless of weather forecasts. This typically includes jacketing the insulation as quickly as possible, tarping the insulation immediately after installation until the metal jacketing can be applied, or urgently tarping the insulation in the event of a thunderstorm. Bear in mind that the insulation not only needs to be covered during the installation process, but throughout a number of different phases of construction:
- Transporting the material to the jobsite
- Storing the material on the jobsite
- Transporting the material to the actual work area – pipe rack, scaffold, etc.
- Staged for installation
In any of these phases, wind can kick up at any time and blow the plastic covering off the material, exposing it to the elements and, potentially, causing irreparable damage to the insulation. These jobsite-related challenges are what prompted JM to develop Thermo-1200, a water-resistant calcium silicate. This calcium silicate has been designed to absorb less than 15% water by weight (maximum ASTM specification allows for 20%) in a 20-minute, typical rainstorm (1.25”/hour). The average weight gain is only 7% in a typical rainstorm scenario. By comparison, traditional calcium silicate can absorb close to 100% of its weight in water in a 20-minute typical rainstorm.
This is where Thermo-1200 can offer significant benefits to contractors. While we still recommend that all insulation be jacketed and weather-protected as soon as reasonably possible, Thermo-1200 is designed to allow a little more flexibility during the installation than has historically been available with calcium silicate insulations. This flexibility can save contractors time and money on the job site, as it gives them time to decide the best course of action in the event of a rainstorm and gives the installers more flexibility to decide when to install the jacketing. In some limited circumstances, the insulation may not even need to be tarped, allowing installers to continue working as normal.
Beyond water resistance, Thermo-1200 has the XOX Corrosion Inhibitor®, a feature that was not part of the insulation 30 years ago. With the XOX Corrosion Inhibitor, even if water penetrates the water-resistant surface, the corrosion inhibitors will activate to help protect the steel surface from corrosion. By coupling the water-resistance of Thermo-1200 with the corrosion inhibiting performance of XOX Corrosion Inhibitor, our calcium silicate not only sheds water, but it is also one of the least corrosive industrial insulations available (per ASTM C1617 test methods). In the constant battle against corrosion under insulation (CUI), this can be an incredibly valuable part of a CUI prevention strategy to protect equipment
The most recent change is a product expansion: curved segments (Curved Segs) for large diameter vessels, piping and equipment. Curved Segs are 6” wide and 36” long segments that are profile-saw cut on a radius. Also, the sides are angled to fit the specific diameter of the pipe. Installation is with bungee cords, just like typical scored block. The advantage is that the fit is custom and exact, so the finishing work that is typically required with scored block (mudding and pointing up small open joints and cracks) is significantly reduced.
Keep in mind that none of these evolutions in Thermo-1200 have affected the traditional performance of the product. Thermo-1200 calcium silicate still offers one of the highest compressive strengths in the market, and it can still be used in applications with operating temperatures up to 1200ºF.
Other than color, Thermo-1200 looks quite similar to the calcium silicate that was installed on pipes during the late 1970s, but it is actually a much-improved product in many ways.
For more information on JM’s Thermo-1200 Calcium Silicate product visit our website.
