All Topics  
Thinsulate

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Thinsulate
 
 
  Topics Thinsulate Topic Home

Thinsulate is a trademark
TradeMark

TradeMark is a tall, primarily residential, skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was completed in 2007 and has 28 floors. There are 200 hundred residential units....
 of the 3M
3M

3M Company , formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company until 2002, is an United States multinational corporation Conglomerate corporation with a worldwide presence....
 Corporation, for a type of synthetic fiber
Synthetic fiber

Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by scientists to improve upon naturally occurring animal and plant. In general, synthetic fibers are created by forcing, usually through extrusion, fiber forming materials through holes into the air, forming a thread....
 thermal insulation
Thermal insulation

The term thermal insulation can refer to materials used to reduce the rate of heat transfer, or the methods and processes used to reduce heat transfer....
 used in clothing
Clothing

A feature of all human societies, except perhaps the most primitive, is the wearing of clothing or clothes, especially in public. The primary purpose of clothing is functional, as a protection from the weather....
. The word is a portmanteau of thin and insulate. The material was first sold in about 1980.

Thinsulate fibers are about 15 micrometres in diameter, which is thinner than the polyester
Polyester

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate ....
 fibers normally used in insulation for clothing such as gloves or winter jackets. Advertising material for thinsulate suggests that thinsulate is more effective due to the increased density of fibers with decreased size of fibers compared with more traditional insulation.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Thinsulate'
Start a new discussion about 'Thinsulate'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Thinsulate is a trademark
TradeMark

TradeMark is a tall, primarily residential, skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was completed in 2007 and has 28 floors. There are 200 hundred residential units....
 of the 3M
3M

3M Company , formerly Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company until 2002, is an United States multinational corporation Conglomerate corporation with a worldwide presence....
 Corporation, for a type of synthetic fiber
Synthetic fiber

Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by scientists to improve upon naturally occurring animal and plant. In general, synthetic fibers are created by forcing, usually through extrusion, fiber forming materials through holes into the air, forming a thread....
 thermal insulation
Thermal insulation

The term thermal insulation can refer to materials used to reduce the rate of heat transfer, or the methods and processes used to reduce heat transfer....
 used in clothing
Clothing

A feature of all human societies, except perhaps the most primitive, is the wearing of clothing or clothes, especially in public. The primary purpose of clothing is functional, as a protection from the weather....
. The word is a portmanteau of thin and insulate. The material was first sold in about 1980.

Thinsulate fibers are about 15 micrometres in diameter, which is thinner than the polyester
Polyester

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate ....
 fibers normally used in insulation for clothing such as gloves or winter jackets. Advertising material for thinsulate suggests that thinsulate is more effective due to the increased density of fibers with decreased size of fibers compared with more traditional insulation. Like most insulation materials, the gaps between fibers not only reduce heat flow, but also allow moisture to escape. The insulation properties are beneficial for retaining some of the heat produced by the body for comfortable warmth while the moisture produced, e.g. by sweating, is supposed to evaporate.

The manufacturer claims that, for a given thickness of material, Thinsulate provides 1 to 1.5 times the insulation of duck down, while being much less water-absorbent and much more resistant to crushing. Based on an insulating value for down of 4.8 Clo
Thermal comfort

Human thermal comfort is defined by ASHRAE as the state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the surrounding environment . Maintaining thermal comfort for occupants of buildings or other enclosures is one of the important goals of HVAC design engineers....
 per , that would mean Thinsulate provides about 6.5 Clo per inch (i.e., an imperial R-value
R-value (insulation)

The R value or R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. The bigger the number, the better the building insulation's effectiveness....
 of 5.75 per inch).

In 1978 Thinsulate insulation was introduced, marketed as providing "warmth without bulk". Marketing material suggests it retains its insulating ability even in damp conditions.

Materials Safety Data Sheets from the manufacturer show that different varieties of Thinsulate are made from different mixtures of polymers, but most are primarily Polyethylene terephthalate
Polyethylene terephthalate

Polyethylene tephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid Packaging; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber....
 or a mixture of Polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene
Polypropylene

Polypropylene or polypropene is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes....
. Other materials in some include polyethylene terephthalate–Polyethylene isophthalate copolymer and acrylic
Acrylic

Acrylic may refer to:* chemical compounds that contain the acryl group derived from acrylic acid* Acrylic fiber, a synthetic polymer fiber that contains at least 85% acrylonitrile...
.

External links