This lightweight insulation is produced by heating crushed glass with a foaming agent, creating a matrix of sealed cells. It is completely impermeable to moisture, non-combustible, and highly resistant to chemical attack. In refractory applications, it serves as a backup insulation layer in low-temperature zones or around vessels where vapor barriers are critical.
Make sure the cellular glass insulation is sealed tight on those joints to stop any acid vapor from reaching the steel shell.
Because it is totally impermeable, cellular glass is the go-to backup insulation where condensation or acid dew points could rot out standard mineral wool or ceramic fiber.
Also heard as
- foam glass
Related terms
IFB
Insulating firebrick: light, porous brick rated by the maximum temperature it can face, such as group 23 or 26.
Blanket
Flexible, needled mat of ceramic or biosoluble fiber sold in rolls by density and thickness.
Safety lining
Refractory layer behind the working lining that holds molten metal back if the working lining fails.