Can Insulation and Heat Reflective Materials Work Together for Fire Safety?

[stewme]

Sorry for such a simple question, but what are the differences between using insulation and heat reflective material? What is the effective of using them together?

In my case I want to shield flammable foam insulation from melting or catching fire from a nearby heater. Will covering the foam with heat reflective film help?

Thank you.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

Yes it will help, but only against the thermal infrared radiation. There are three parts to heat transport, radiative and through heat conduction and through convection.

1) The radiative part scales with T^4 as far as I remember so it gets very large for things like fires. This is also why stove plates glow in the dark. The infrared radiation can be reflected to some degree with metal foil.

2) Then we have heat transport, which can be reduced by using a bad thermal conductor. The way to think about this is that the material which you want to protect is connected to something cold like the outside air or a wall by a better heat link then that to the heat source, or that the heat source is not turned on long enough that appreciable heat could be transferred.

3) Convection, the most important part. Air is really a poor heat conductor, but if we move the air, it will take the heat with it. The main part of almost all household insulation is making sure that air doesn't move. Multi layer clothing, foams (they are just trapped air), glass wool, all things to keep the air from flowing from hot to cold.

So yes metal foil helps. A few layers with air in between even more. But if you want to build something so your house doesn't burn down when your are asleep, I would think about flame retardant insulation. Every f-ing carpet sold today must show this property...

 

[astrokreng]

No need to apologize, this is a valid question that many people may have. Insulation and heat reflective materials serve different purposes when it comes to managing heat. Insulation is designed to reduce heat transfer, typically by trapping air pockets within its material. This helps to keep an area warm in cold temperatures and cool in hot temperatures. On the other hand, heat reflective materials are designed to reflect heat away from a surface, rather than absorbing it. This can be particularly useful in preventing heat from entering a space or protecting a surface from intense heat sources.

Using insulation and heat reflective materials together can have a synergistic effect, as the insulation will help to keep the area at a consistent temperature while the heat reflective material will help to prevent heat from entering the space. In your case, covering the flammable foam insulation with a heat reflective film may provide some protection from the nearby heater, but it is important to note that the film may not completely prevent the foam from melting or catching fire. It is always important to follow safety guidelines and regulations when using flammable materials near heat sources.