Pourable insulation material
An insulation system using pourable insulation, a method of making pourable insulation, and a method of installing pourable insulation are shown and described. In one embodiment the insulation system includes a pre-classified insulation component and an adjustable compression package configured to hold the insulation component at a first compressed density and to allow the insulation component to reach, within the package, a second density that is lower than the first density.
1 . An insulation system for installing pourable insulation, said system comprising:
(a) a pre-classified insulation component; and
(b) a package containing the insulation component, wherein the packaged insulation density is about equal to the installed insulation density.
2 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the packaged insulation density is between about 2 pcf and 7 pcf.
3 . The insulation system according to claim 2 , wherein the insulation density is between about 3 pcf and 6 pcf.
4 . The insulation system according to claim 3 , wherein the insulation density is about 4 pcf.
5 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation component is selected from the group consisting of fibrous material, granular material, pellet material, agglomerated material, aggregated material and mixtures thereof.
6 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation component is inorganic.
7 . The insulation system according to claim 6 , wherein the inorganic component is selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, rock wool, pearlite, mineral wool, asbestos, and mixtures thereof.
8 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation component is organic.
9 . The insulation system according to claim 8 , wherein the organic material is cellulosic.
10 . The insulation system according to claim 9 , wherein the cellulosic material is shredded paper fiber.
11 . The insulation system according to claim 10 , wherein the cellulosic material is made by shredding a cellulosic material in a pre-shredder; passing the shredded material through a screen having a diameter between about 1 inch and 4 inches; and shredding the cellulosic material in a hammer mill shredder.
12 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation component is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials.
13 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation component further includes a fire retardant.
14 . The insulation system according to claim 13 , wherein the fire retardant is boric acid.
15 . The insulation system according to claim 14 , wherein said fire retardant is present in an amount between about 7 wt. % and about 15 wt. %.
16 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , further including an expansion ratio modifying agent.
17 . The insulation system according to claim 16 , wherein the expansion ratio modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of: synthetic or natural fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polyester, polyester terephthalate, cotton, hemp, glass, mineral wool, and mixtures thereof.
18 . The insulation system according to claim 16 , wherein the amount of expansion ratio modifying agent is greater than about 1 wt. %.
19 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , further including between about ½% and 3% mineral oil.
20 . The insulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the package is a pre-formed bag.
21 . A pourable insulation system, said system comprising:
(a) a pre-classified insulation component; and
(b) an adjustable compression package configured to hold the insulation component at a first compressed density and to allow the insulation component to reach, within the package, a second density that is lower than the first density.
22 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the insulation component is selected from the group consisting of fibrous material, granular material, pellet material, agglomerated material, aggregated material and mixtures thereof.
23 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the insulation component is inorganic.
24 . The insulation system according to claim 23 , wherein the inorganic component is selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, rock wool, pearlite, mineral wool, asbestos, and mixtures thereof.
25 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the insulation component is organic.
26 . The insulation system according to claim 25 , wherein the organic material is cellulosic.
27 . The insulation system according to claim 26 , wherein the cellulosic material is shredded paper fiber.
28 . The insulation system according to claim 27 , wherein the shredded paper fiber is fiber made by shredding a cellulosic material in a pre-shredder; passing the shredded material through a screen having a diameter between about 1 inch and 4 inches; and shredding the cellulosic material in a hammer mill shredder.
29 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the insulation component is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials.
30 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the insulation component further includes a fire retardant.
31 . The insulation system according to claim 30 , wherein the fire retardant is boric acid.
32 . The insulation system according to claim 29 , wherein said fire retardant is present in an amount between about 7 wt. % and about 15 wt. %.
33 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , further including an expansion ratio modifying agent.
34 . The insulation system according to claim 33 , wherein the expansion ratio modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of: synthetic or natural fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polyester, polyester terephthalate, cotton, hemp, glass, mineral wool, and mixtures thereof.
35 . The insulation system according to claim 33 , wherein the amount of expansion ratio modifying agent is greater than about 1 wt. %.
36 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the ratio of the first insulation density to the second insulation density is between about 1½ and 10 to 1.
37 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the first insulation density is between about 6 pcf and 10 pcf and the second density is between about 2 pcf and 5 pcf.
38 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the adjustable package is an air-permeable compression package including a plurality of holes defined by the package, said package having a first compressed volume and a second larger volume.
39 . The insulation system according to claim 38 , wherein the first compressed volume of the package is maintained substantially by the adhesion of the compressed insulation component.
40 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , wherein the adjustable package is a substantially air-impermeable sealed package having a first sealed volume and a second unsealed volume.
41 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , further including between about ½% and 3% mineral oil mixed with the insulation component.
42 . The insulation system according to claim 21 , further including a coloring agent (CA).
43 . A method of making a pre-classified pourable insulation component comprising the steps of:
(a) shredding a cellulosic material in a pre-shredder;
(b) passing the shredded material through a screen having a diameter between about 1 inch and 4 inches; and
(c) shredding the cellulosic material in a second shredder,
whereby the method produces an insulation that through manual shaking can go from a density between about 6 pcf and 10 pcf to a density of between about 2 pcf and 5 pcf.
44 . The method of claim 43 , further including adding about ½% to about 3% water to the insulation component.
45 . The method of claim 43 , further including adding a fire retardant.
46 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the fire retardant is boric acid.
47 . The method of claim 43 , further including adding oil.
48 . The method of claim 47 , wherein the oil is mineral oil added in between about ½% and 3%.
49 . The method of claim 43 , further including adding the cellulosic material to a container.
50 . The method of claim 49 , wherein the container is an adjustable package.
51 . The method of claim 50 , wherein the adjustable package is an air-permeable compression package including a plurality of holes defined by the package, and having a first compressed volume and a second larger volume.
52 . The method of claim 50 , wherein the adjustable package is a substantially air-impermeable sealed package having a first sealed volume and a second unsealed volume.
53 . The method of claim 50 , further including compressing the adjustable package.
54 . The method of claim 53 , wherein the bag is compressed to a density of between about 5 pcf and 10 pcf.
55 . A method of making a pre-classified pourable insulation component comprising the steps of:
(a) shredding a cellulosic material in a pre-shredder;
(b) passing the shredded material through a screen having a diameter between about 1 and 4 inch opening;
(c) injecting about ½% to about 3% water into the cellulosic material;
(d) adding a fire retardant;
(e) shredding the cellulosic material in a second shredder; and
(f) packaging the cellulosic material.
56 . The method of claim 55 , further including blowing the cellulosic material shred by the second shredder prior to packaging.
57 . The method of claim 55 , further including adding oil to the cellulosic material prior to bagging.
58 . The method of claim 55 , wherein the package is an adjustable package and further including compressing the adjustable package of bagged cellulosic material.
59 . The method of claim 55 , wherein the second shredder is a hammer mill shredder.
60 . A method of installing a pourable insulation, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining an adjustable package of insulation, the insulation having a first density within the package;
(b) shaking the package until the insulation has a second density; and
(c) pouring the insulation from the package.
61 . The method of claim 60 , wherein the insulation includes a cellulosic insulation.
62 . The method of claim 61 , wherein the cellulosic insulation is made by made by shredding a cellulosic material in a pre-shredder; passing the shredded material through a screen having a diameter between about 1 inch and 4 inches; and shredding the cellulosic material in a second shredder.
63 . The method of claim 60 , wherein the first density is between about 6 pcf and 10 pcf.
64 . The method of claim 60 , wherein the second density is between about 2 pcf and 5 pcf.
65 . The method of claim 60 , wherein the shaking is performed manually for at least about 5 seconds.
66 . The method of claim 60 , wherein the pouring allows the cellulosic material to fall from between about 6 inches and 3 feet.
67 . The method of claim 60 , wherein the pouring is substantially gravity driven.
68 . The method of claim 60 , further including measuring the depth of the poured material and adjusting the depth to a depth optimized for thermal non-conduction.
69 . The method of claim 60 , further including measuring the depth of the poured material and adjusting the depth to a depth optimized for acoustic non-conduction.
70 . The method of claim 60 , further including measuring the depth of the poured material and adjusting the depth to a depth optimized for electric non-conduction.