Thinsulate
Encyclopedia
Thinsulate is a trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...

 of the 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....

 Corporation, for a type of synthetic fiber
Synthetic fiber
Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by scientists to improve on naturally occurring animal and plant fibers. 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
Thermal insulation is the reduction of the effects of the various processes of heat transfer between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Heat transfer is the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature...

 used in clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...

. The word is a portmanteau of thin and insulate. The material was first sold in 1979.

Design

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
Thermal comfort is a term used by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, an international body. It is defined as the state of mind in humans that expresses satisfaction with the surrounding environment...

 per 1.1 inches (27.9 mm), that would mean Thinsulate provides about 6.5 Clo per inch (i.e., an imperial R-value
R-value (insulation)
The R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. Under uniform conditions it is the ratio of the temperature difference across an insulator and the heat flux through it or R = \Delta T/\dot Q_A.The R-value being discussed is the unit thermal resistance...

 of 5.75 per inch).

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 terephthalate , 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 containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...

 or a mixture of Polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene
Polypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer 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 fiber
Acrylic fibers are synthetic fibers made from a polymer with an average molecular weight of ~100,000, about 1900 monomer units. To be called acrylic in the U.S, the polymer must contain at least 85% acrylonitrile monomer. Typical comonomers are vinyl acetate or methyl acrylate...

.

History

In 1979, Thinsulate insulation was introduced, marketed as providing "warmth without bulk". Marketing material suggests it retains its insulating ability even in damp conditions.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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