ThermoCor high performance insulation is formed by creating a metal foil or polymeric barrier envelope that surrounds an open cell core material and then evacuating the enclosed gases. The envelope is tightly sealed so that the vacuum can be maintained for years. A desiccant material may be added to absorb water and other gases that might be left inside the envelope after it is sealed.
ThermoCor is an advanced insulating system with an equivalent internal pressure of approximately five percent of normal air pressure. It incorporates features that significantly retard all four basic heat transfer mechanisms: conduction, conduction through fluids and gases, radiation and convection.
Conduction through solids is an important heat transfer mechanism. Some materials are better at conducting heat than others; metals are generally more conductive than plastic. For example, a metal spoon in a cup of hot coffee will feel hotter to the touch than a plastic spoon in the same cup. Liquid or gaseous conduction occurs when a higher energy molecule collides with another and transfers some of its energy to the other molecule. This mechanism increases in importance with the number of molecules that are present and with increasing temperature or molecular energy. In a high vacuum, this mechanism is less important since the number of molecules available for energy transferring collisions is vastly reduced.
Convection is the heat transfer mechanism that moves heat by permitting gases or liquids to flow from one location to another. Home convection ovens use circulating hot air to bake foods quickly at a constant temperature. In a vacuum, minimal convection occurs because of the small amount of gas present.
Radiation, or the emission of infrared heat waves from a surface, is a mechanism that increases in importance as the surface temperature rises. An example would be the heat that is radiated from a “red-hot” piece of metal.
Under a vacuum, the mechanisms to transfer heat via convection and liquid/gaseous conduction are significantly reduced. In traditional insulation, the two mechanisms account for 60% to 70% of the heat transfer. By encapsulating a high-performing, open core material in a vacuum environment, ThermoCor virtually eliminates these means for heat transfer and significantly outperforms traditional insulating materials. With ThermoCor high performance insulation, it is possible to have a one-inch thick panel perform as well or better than 11 inches of residential foam insulation.
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