Thermal insulation is the method of inhibiting the transfer of thermal energy from one area to another. In other words, thermal insulation can keep an enclosed area such as a building warm, or it can keep the inside of a container cold. Heat is transferred by from one material to another by conduction, convection and/or radiation. Insulators are used to minimize that transfer of heat energy. In home insulation, the R-value is an indication of how well a material insulates.
Where thermal insulation is used
If you have an object or area that is at a certain temperature, you may want to prevent that material from becoming the same temperature as neighboring materials. This is usually done by employing a thermal insulation barrier.
For example:
- If the air outside is cold, you may want to protect your skin by wearing clothes that keep the cold out and the body warmth in.
- If your house has cool air inside during the summer, you may want to prevent the temperature from becoming the same as the hot air outside by having the house well insulated.
- If you have a hot drink, you may want to prevent it from becoming room temperature by putting it in a thermos bottle.
In any location where there are materials of two drastically different temperatures, you may want to provide an insulating barrier to prevent one from becoming the same temperature as the other. In such situations, the effort is to minimize the transfer of heat from one area to another.
