Which is better – basalt cotton wool or mineral wool? Comparative review

The energy efficiency and comfort of your home can be greatly affected by the insulation materials you choose for your roof. Mineral wool and basalt wool are two of the more well-liked options. Although they have different compositions and functions, both materials are intended to provide effective insulation against heat and cold. Knowing the differences between mineral and basalt wool will enable you to choose the roofing material that best meets your needs.

Rock wool, sometimes referred to as basalt wool, is created by melting volcanic rock at a high temperature and spinning it into fibers. It is renowned for having exceptional durability and fire resistance. Insulation made of basalt wool is good at capturing air pockets, which keeps interiors cool in the summer and prevents heat loss in the winter. Because of its sturdy construction, it is also resistant to mold, moisture, and pests, guaranteeing long-lasting performance in a variety of climates.

Conversely, mineral wool refers to a variety of insulation materials composed of mineral fibers, which are usually obtained from recycled steel slag or melted glass. Mineral wool insulation is prized for its exceptional thermal resistance and soundproofing capabilities. Because it provides efficient insulation from both heat and cold, it is appropriate for locations with large temperature swings. Similar to basalt wool, mineral wool is non-flammable and inhibits the spread of fire, improving safety in both residential and commercial structures.

Environmental impact, moisture resistance, and thermal conductivity are some of the factors to consider when comparing mineral wool and basalt wool. Because basalt wool typically has a slightly lower heat conductivity than mineral wool, it might offer slightly better insulation per thickness unit. But mineral wool frequently excels at withstanding moisture, which makes it perfect for humid climates or places where moisture tends to accumulate. Both materials are sustainable; mineral wool frequently contains a large amount of recycled material, while basalt wool has a natural origin.

In conclusion, your unique roofing needs and environmental factors will play a major role in your decision between mineral wool and basalt wool. Mineral wool has superior thermal and sound insulation qualities, while basalt wool has strong fire resistance and durability. You can choose the insulation material that will best improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort by taking into account variables like climate, cost, and long-term performance.

Criteria	Basalt Cotton Wool
Insulation Efficiency	Both provide excellent thermal insulation, but basalt wool typically has slightly better performance.
Moisture Resistance	Basalt wool is more resistant to moisture compared to mineral wool, making it suitable for humid environments.

What is mineral wool and what it happens?

First off, mineral wool is now widely used for isolation and insulation of many surfaces, including water supply highways, high-temperature systems, roofs, and partitions. It is affordable, simple to install, and ecologically friendly.

The fibers of mineral wool vary in thickness and length. As the name suggests, they are made of minerals, but organic fibers are still present for comparison. Mineral fibers can form glass wool, slag, or basalt cotton wool—that is, stone—based on the raw materials used. We also observe this crucial point. Stone cotton wool is actually a mineral, which is why it belongs to this category of materials. Thus, in terms of the benefits of basalt wool over glass or slag, if you compare them all to one another.

The key to how such a heater functions is that it delays the air and keeps the cold out. In terms used by builders, it has a low heat conductivity. Because of this, it is usual practice to install insulation between two spaces with varying temperatures and humidity levels. Walls, floors, ceilings, and partitions are among them.

Generally speaking, the best heat insulator is the air. Thus, fine mineral wool is actually an amazing layer of varying lengths and thicknesses of fibers in the air, and in Russia, it is only made using non-combustible materials in accordance with GOST 52953-2008:

Here is an intriguing comparison of the two kinds of material using quick experiments, which you should not try at home:

For both builders and homeowners, the argument between mineral wool and basalt cotton wool is vital when it comes to roofing materials. Although they have different compositions and functions, both materials have advantages for insulation. Because of its exceptional durability and fire resistance, basalt cotton wool—which is derived from natural basalt rock fibers—is perfect for high-temperature settings. However, mineral wool—which is formed of slag or melted glass—performs exceptionally well in terms of moisture resistance and soundproofing. In order to help you choose the insulation option that best meets your roofing needs and ensures the highest level of comfort and efficiency for your house or construction project, this article examines these important differences.

Mineral fiber manufacturing technology

As we’ve already mentioned, the thickness and fiber orientation of each insulation will vary based on the specific raw materials and the technology employed. Depending on the equipment used to melt them, the fibers can also be layered spatially, corrugated, horizontally, or vertically.

However, the following general principle applies:

The process of production yields mineral wool with a range of colors, fiber lengths, and thicknesses, all of which have an impact on its characteristics. This species is present in the context of all three types in the Russian market:

The prickly ubiquitous glass wool

These days, glass wool with a cylindrical shape is actively utilized for ventilated facades and pipeline thermal insulation in the form of plates. Even the aviation industry uses this material! To achieve the required protection against heat loss and to muffle sounds, they are finished with cabs. Glass wool also consistently isolates overheated nodes.

The perfect ability of glass wool to withstand vibration loads makes it good. It is composed of fiberglass, limestone, sand, or dolomite. Typically, it’s yellow, either very light or highly saturated (pink in other countries).

The procedure is straightforward: heated to nearly 1,500 degrees Celsius, a glass battle or its equivalent is used until the glasses melt. After that, tiny fibers that are between 15 and 50 mm long and have a thickness of 5 to 15 microns can be easily extracted from them. In cotton wool, the threads twist and dry out:

Although the material is elastic and quite durable, handling it is not simple. The truth is that all of these glass fibers are extremely brittle. When they break, thousands of tiny, sharp needles are released into the skin and eyes, causing irritation and redness.

And it must already be awful if you also breathe in glass dust. Despite the fact that there are many extremes, they only work with such material while wearing a protective suit and respirator.

Reliable and fireproof stone cotton wool

The process of rocking rocks and mixtures of metallurgical slags results in stone cotton wool. Raw materials include gabbro, diabase, or basalt combined with dolomite or limestone rocks. The range of vapor permeability is 0.25–0.35 mg/m²*h*PA. In addition to being substantially more expensive than glass wool, this type of thermal insulation has entirely different properties. However, both materials offer comparable insulation against heat and sound.

By the way, the only wool that works for some roof structures is basalt wool because it is strong enough to break. Slag and glass wool are not comparable in this regard.

Available and soft slag

Slag made from metallurgical industry waste is another popular mineral wool insulation. In coke vagrants, similar raw materials are obtained during melting. the so-called "vagranic method," which speeds up the process and enhances Vata’s mechanical and physical qualities.

The only drawback is that an acidity indicator is still unstable during the domain slag production process. After all, the process of smelting cast iron yields the blastine slag itself. As a result, the characteristics of mineral wool and how it responds to external factors can vary slightly between packages.

T.e. The neighbor’s hectares of insulation may prove to be more durable than yours if they use the same brand of boards. To put it mildly, it is challenging to predict the outcome in this case. Furthermore, the threads themselves, which have a length of 16 mm and a thickness of 4 to 12 microns, are made from molten domain slags. It turns out that the cotton wool is highly elastic and heat-insulating. Coefficient of thermal conductivity Her 0, 46 – 0, 48 W/(M ∙ K).

Additionally, the metal surfaces may be adversely affected by the raw room’s lingering acidity. The slag cannot be used for isolation in the bathroom because moisture absorbs it very quickly. It is never used to insulate metal or plastic pipes because of these characteristics. It also has no place at all in the facade’s decoration.

However, unlike glass wool, the slag is not as prickly, even though its dust frequently winds up in the air and gives off unpleasant smells when breathed in. Unfortunately, formaldehyde resin, which releases phenol, is also present in the slag.

Because of the potential health risks, you should take extra care to observe safety precautions during the installation process. It is crucial to use a gap-free vapor barrier film to cover such a heater. But this also holds true for the two types that came before it.

Comparison of technical characteristics: which raw materials are still better?

Important requirements like durability and heat retention are always present for any heater. Despite glass wool’s short lifespan of seven years, mineral wool emerges victorious in this comparison with other forms of thermal insulation materials.

Simultaneously, every manufacturer strives to enhance their products, continuously conducts laboratory research, and ensures that their products are safe and convenient to use for insulating typical residential buildings. This is certainly cause for celebration!

Regarding raw materials, we can state that there are no bad heaters—rather, the best options are those that are appropriate for a given construction task. For this reason, understanding the technical features and variations among the three varieties of mineral wool is crucial.

Thermal conductivity and elasticity

Let’s begin by discussing thermal conductivity, or the capacity to hold onto heat. It is the same in basalt plates and glass wool. These are 0, 038 W/m*K* and 0.041 W/m*K*, respectively.

You can search YouTube for well-liked videos where watchmakers actively test various mineral varieties for your own amusement. As an illustration, place the thermometers in sections of insulation directly on the street and observe which heater is more adept at handling its task. You cannot call the difference—which is literally only 1-2 degrees—essential.

Additionally, the density and elasticity that impact the structure’s weight and installation procedure. Thermal insulation serves additional purposes for some types of roofs, such as inversion roofs. Thus, in this case, the strength characteristics are more crucial.

Fiberglass, for instance, is not very dense. This type of cotton wool has a density of roughly 115 kg/m^3, making it strong for compression in the range of 40–45 kPa. As a result, the glass wool weighs substantially less than the basalt.

When insulation-filled packages are opened, the capacity to compress and restore without deformation is readily apparent to the unaided eye:

The ultimate strength of mineral wool is also directly impacted by its density. The insulation is stronger the higher the density. These are crucial technical factors that establish the maximum load that this or that kind of mineral wool can withstand.

Fire safety and resistance to fire

Regarding fire safety, cotton wool made of basalt and mineral materials does not burn in a fire. At a specific temperature, all of their fibers can be baked together. For instance, slag fibers retain their properties even at temperatures as high as 700 degrees Celsius, glass wool melts at 300 degrees, and basalt wool can withstand temperatures as high as 1000 degrees.

However, bear in mind that this is not totally accurate if you select stone cotton wool based only on such factors. The truth is that while the attic’s lining and waterproofing films are unquestionably waterproof, there may be cotton wool present that does not light up at 1000 degrees Celsius.

All varieties of mineral wool have the benefit of not maintaining open flames on their own. This is an important time when you contrast them with polystyrene and polystyrene foam.

It is a fact that polystyrene and polystrene foam actively burn while simultaneously facilitating the rapid and effective spread of fire. Such homes are said to have "flashed like a match":

Flying of cotton wool and skin irritation

One other crucial point regarding mineral wool. The material’s sausage shape and hazardous dust are two of its main drawbacks. However, not everyone is aware that this is a common indicator that the insulation contains short, thin fibers.

The fiber in stooped plates typically has a thickness of 0.02 mm and a length of less than 3 mm. In other words, the fibers resemble tiny needles more the thinner and shorter they are. It’s unpleasant even to cut such a plate—it looks like a lot of work, dried bread, and crumbs all over the place. However, handling longer fibers is easier because they are easier to cut, virtually never dust, and don’t irritate hands.

With the exception of gloves, the majority of contemporary products in this series don’t require the use of special protective gear, and basalt cotton wool has an order of magnitude less with this. However, glass wool is not a bad material at all if you follow the installation guidelines and take personal safety precautions.

Regretfully, despite their increased awareness, a lot of home owners still engage in a sort of dashing where they casually pick up glass cotton wool with their bare hands and don’t give much thought to how far away it is from the house. Subsequently, these individuals post unfavorable reviews on the websites of manufacturers, claiming that their cotton wool is harmful to the environment and generally intolerable for human health.

Important issues of environmental friendliness

Think about this crucial point. Nearly all producers of stone wool create a product that is safe for the environment, free of harmful ingredients, and does not release any offensive scents into the space. It is truly safe for human health to use such insulation. These factories also employ non-waste production, which is beneficial to the environment.

Regarding the safety of other mineral wool varieties for the environment, like glass or slag, there are a few differences between stone and stone here. Phenol-formaldehyde resin may be present in trace amounts in mineral cotton fiber. However, even at high temperatures during production, it polymerizes and becomes an inactive solid state. She is no longer in his unrestricted form, and her presence has no impact on the occupants of the insulated house. Even so, formaldehyde is still utilized in the production of glass wool.

In actuality, this material is occasionally present in stone wool, particularly in the earlier issues. The entire issue stems from the layered wool structure’s random fiber placement, which leads to an abundance of air pores forming. Furthermore, as a binder, phenol-formaldehyde resin derivatives simply transform individual fibers into a robust, elastic canvas that doesn’t collapse or sag. T.e. This is an extremely crucial part of the production process.

Additionally, cotton wool with this composition is more stable and long-lasting. As a result, up until now, some manufacturers have included formaldehyde resins in stone cotton wool, albeit in very small amounts (between 2.5 and 10%). However, the insulation itself absorbs less moisture the lower the formaldehyde content, even though this lessens the risk of benzene evaporating.

Naturally, the majority of these additives fall within acceptable bounds, making them generally safe for both the environment and people. Mineral wool insulation is checked for all these parameters in specialized laboratories these days. Furthermore, the tests are conducted in multiple phases, including an evaluation of radiation, a flush to determine overall toxicity, and an assessment of the atmospheric release of hazardous materials.

In order to assess the amount of organic matter present in mineral wool, it is subjected to a day in a climate chamber with controlled humidity and temperature for a certain amount of time. This is how they verify whether mineral wool satisfies the accepted hygienic and sanitary standards in Russia.

For this reason, you should insist on a quality certificate if you have concerns about the material’s environmental friendliness. After all, the building industry is competitive these days, and rumors regarding dangerous insulation occasionally circulate.

Durability and confrontation of shrinkage

The capacity of glass wool to shrink is a serious drawback. She has a shorter lifespan as a result, whereas stone cotton wool is far more resilient and keeps its shape for a longer period of time.

When it comes to cost, the glass wool that is easiest to get hold of is undoubtedly the most reasonably priced. Even with all of its flaws, it works exceptionally well for rooms—which are the areas that require sound insulation the most—and not for anything else.

Mineral wool and basalt wool are both well-liked options for insulation, each with special advantages based on your requirements. Because it is made of volcanic rock, basalt wool is renowned for its exceptional durability and fire resistance. Because it can tolerate high temperatures without losing its insulating qualities, it is perfect for high-risk or industrial settings where fire safety is a top concern.

However, mineral wool also has excellent acoustic and thermal insulation qualities. It is usually derived from natural rock materials like diabase or basalt. Because of its exceptional ability to reduce noise and maintain consistent interior temperatures, it is a good fit for residential buildings where comfort and energy efficiency are important factors.

Comparing the two, mineral wool performs remarkably well in terms of moisture resistance and soundproofing, while basalt wool typically has higher melting points and better fire resistance. Though their precise uses may differ depending on regional building codes and weather patterns, both materials are eco-friendly and help save energy by minimizing heat loss.

In conclusion, your unique insulation needs and priorities will ultimately determine which type of wool is better for you: mineral wool or basalt wool. Basalt wool might be a preferable choice if durability and fire safety are your top priorities. On the other hand, mineral wool might be a better option if sound and thermal insulation are your main concerns. A professional assessment of your building’s needs can assist you in making an informed choice that guarantees both effectiveness and safety.

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