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Glass wool is a form of fibreglass where very thin strands of glass are arranged into a spongy texture similar to steel wool. Glass wool is used widely as an insulating material.
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Manufacturing process
After the fusion of a mixture of natural sand and recycled glass at 1,450 °C, the glass that is produced is converted into fibers. The cohesion and mechanical strength of the product is obtained by the presence of a binder that “cements” the fibers together. Ideally, a drop of bonder is placed at each fiber intersection. This fiber mat is then heated to around 200 °C to polymerize the resin and is calendered to give it strength and stability. The final stage involves cutting the wool and packing it in rolls or panels under very high pressure before palletizing the finished product in order to facilitate transport and storage.
Thanks to its intertwined flexible fibers, glass wool offers excellent fire-resistant properties as a thermal insulation material (in loft-of-wall cavity insulation, for example) and is also widely used as an absorbent material in acoustic treatments, such as sound-insulating absorbent ceiling tiles. Its light weight, flexibility and elasticity make it easy to install, which is another essential condition for effective insulation.
Glass wool is an excellent heat insulator. It can be woven into a cloth which has the additional properties of being light, strong, waterproof and corrosion free.
Studies of side effects
A 2002 summary by International Agency for Research on Cancer puts insulation glass wool into Category 3 carcinogen, "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans". The summary found "inadequate evidence" of glass wool causing cancer in humans and "limited evidence" of it causing cancer in experimental animals.1 Two unspecified "large" studies reviewed in the summary showed "increased mortality" (6% in the "US cohort study") from respiratory cancer in workers exposed to glass wool production. The longevity of exposure did not affect mortality. Smoking habits were not factored out. Non-occupational indoor settings were found to contain "much lower" fibres per volume unit.
Unspecified "studies" reviewed by Health Canada have shown that short time exposure to glass wool may cause minor irritation of skin, eyes, nose and throat. According to Health Canada, glass wool exposure does not present health risk to general population.2
See also
References
- ^ IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Volume 81: Man-made Vitreous Fibres. Chapter 5. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 2002, 418 pages. ISBN 92 832 1281 9
- ^ The Safety of Manmade Vitreous Fibres, Health Canada, December 19, 2006
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 21 October 2008, at 06:11.
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