A r macell - Technical Ar ticles Issue 4

Key terms in low-temperature insulation:

by Dipl.-Ing. Hubert Helms, Armacell GmbH

Part 4:
WATER VAPOUR
TRANSMISSION
In the case of low-temperature insulations
there is the danger of moisture penetrating
the insulation material.
The top priority when considering the design
of low-temperature insulation is, therefore,
not only to prevent condensation forming
on the surface of the insulation material,
but also to protect the material against the
penetration of moisture.
If this danger is not eliminated, water and/or
ice will form at those points in the insulation
system where the temperature is below the
dew-point temperature.
Water and ice must not penetrate the
insulation system for the following
reasons:
• In the insulation material they reduce the
insulation effect considerably, because
water conducts heat around 20 times
better than static air (λair ≈ 0.025 W/(m.
K); (λwater ≈ 0.6 W/(m . K)). The thermal
conductivity of ice is around 100 times
higher. This not only leads to increas-
ing energy losses, but in certain circum-
stances also means that the insulation
thickness determined in the dry state is
no longer sufficient. This in turn results in
additional condensation forming on the
surface of the insulation material.
• Water can cause corrosion on insulated
plant and on the inside of any metal
jackets. In the worst case this “creep-
ing” corrosion can mean that the whole
refrigerating plant has to be replaced.
How can moisture penetrate insula-
tion materials?
Air is a mixture of several gases. At sea level,
pure dry air contains approximately 78.1
vol. % of nitrogen, 20.9 vol. % of oxygen,
0.9 vol. % of argon, 0.03 vol. % of carbon
dioxide, 0.01 vol. % of hydrogen and traces
of further inert gases.
Apart from the substances mentioned,
“normal” air also always contains a quan-
tity of invisible water vapour which can be
larger or smaller.
As already explained in the first part of this
series, atmospheric (humid) air is a combi-
nation of the two substances dry air and
water vapour. Every gas of this compound
generates a pressure which is also called
partial pressure. Under normal ambient
conditions, each individual gas in this gas
mixture distributes itself as if to take up the
whole of the space available – unhindered
by the other gases. So the total pressure
in a gas compound is calculated as the
sum of all partial pressures. The following
therefore applies for the total pressure
(barometer reading) of humid air:
P = PL+ PD in Pa, hPa
(Pascal, Hectopascal)
PL = partial pressure of the dry air
PD = partial pressure of the water vapour
Only the partial water vapour pressure is
of importance for processes concerning
building physics.
There is a certain partial water vapour
pressure (PD) for every temperature and
relative humidity.
If there are different temperatures and
humidities on the two sides of the compo-
nent/object, a vapour pressure difference
arises as a result of the different water
vapour partial pressures. Because pressures
naturally endeavour to achieve a balance,
the difference in pressure is the driving
force behind water vapour transmission
(see Model calculation and Figure 1). Water
vapour transmission is the natural move-
ment of the water vapour (the water vapour
molecules) through building and insulation
materials. Due to the temperature and par-
tial pressure ratios, in refrigeration plants
the diffusion current is generally directed
at the insulated object. If the diffusing
water vapour falls below the dew-point
temperature, it condenses and builds up
as moisture in the insulation material, with
the possible consequences mentioned at
the beginning of this article.
Model calculation for partial water
vapor pressure:
Temperature °C 6 22
Relative
humidity % 100 85
Saturated water
vapour pres-
9.35 26.47
sure PS hPa
Partial water
vapour pressure 9.35 22.45
PD hPa

• It is also important not to underestimate As we already know from Part 2 of this

the substantial weight gain due to water
and ice, which can lead to static prob-
lems – especially in combination with
the corrosion processes mentioned.
Moisture transport through
series, depending on its temperature air
can only absorb a certain, limited amount
of water vapour, i.e. depending on the
temperature, the partial pressure of the
water vapour can also only have a certain Figure 1:
maximum value. The maximum partial
pressure of the water vapour is known as
The driving force behind water vapour diffusion.

water vapour transmission the saturated water vapour pressure PD.

Ar m ace l l

In the next issue:

Part 5 - Installing elastomeric insulation materials: Reliable bonds

Armacell-Technical Articles | March 2006 | Page 1


Every (building) material offers a differ-
ent resistance to the migration of water
vapour.
The most important parameters are:
. The water vapour diffusion coefficient δ
(small delta)
. The resistance to water vapour diffusion
factor μ
. The water vapour diffusion equivalent air
layer thickness Sd
The water vapour diffusion
coefficient
The water vapour diffusion coefficient
indicates the amount of water vapour [kg]
which diffuses through a layer of material
which is 1 m thick and has an area of 1 m²
at a partial water vapour pressure differ-
ence of 1 Pa in 1 hour. (Figure 2)
Figure 2:
Difusion coefficient δ
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The resistance to water
vapour diffusion factor
The resistance to water vapour diffusion
factor, also known as the µ-value for short,
describes the ratio of the water vapour dif-
fusion coefficient of the air δL to the value
δmaterial of the building material in question
(Figure 3).
Figure 3: Resistance to water vapour
The µ-value is a measure for the vapour
tightness of a material. It indicates how
many times greater the resistance to trans-
mission of a layer of building material is
compared to a static layer of air of the same
thickness.
Water vapour diffusion equivalent air layer
thickness
The following applies for the water vapour
diffusion equivalent air layer thickness (sd-
value) of a building material:
sd = μ · s (m)
Issue 4: Water vapour transmission
The Sd-value is the thickness of a static layer
of air in metres, which displays the same
resistance to water vapour transmission as
the building material in the thickness s with
the resistance to water vapour transmission
value µ. As Figure 4 shows, the static layer
of air would have to be 133 m thick to build
up the same resistance to water vapour
transmission as 19 mm AF/Armaflex.
Water vapour
diffusion
Bulding equivalent air
material layer thickness
Mineral wool
μ ≈3; s = 100 mm Sd = 0.3 m
Polyurethane
Sd = 10 m
μ ≈100; s = 100 mm
AF/Armaflex
Sd = 133 m
μ ≥ 7000; s = 19 mm
Table 1: Emision and absoption coefficients
of surfaces of insulation systems.
As explained in this and the previous articles
in the series, when insulating refrigerating
plant it is essential to determine the correct
insulation thickness in order to prevent
condensation and to select an appropri-
ate insulation material which will reliably
protect the insulation against moisture
penetration in the long term. However,
good physical technical values are only
one of several aspects when assessing and
selecting a material. The best properties
are no use if the insulation material is
poorly installed. In the next part we will,
therefore, present fundamental aspects of
installation, taking elastomeric insulation
materials as an example. Here adhesion will
play a key role.
Armacell-Tecnichal Articles | March 2006 | Page 2