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There have always been
concerns about insulation causing corrosion when in direct
contact with metal building components such as sweaty pipes,
electrical wires or metal boxes, etc. Consequently, ASTM
standards for every insulation material contain testing which
specifically addresses these concerns. In addition, in 1979, the
CPSC promulgated a law, which regulated the fire and corrosive
characteristics of cellulose insulation. A statement of
compliance with these requirements is required on every bag of
cellulose insulation. The types of metal tested with all
insulation materials are copper, aluminum, steel, and
additionally in Canada, galvanized steel. Our test requires
placing soaking-wet cellulose insulation with an imbedded
.003-inch thick metal coupon inside a humidity chamber under
conditions that are ideal for promoting corrosion. After 14
days, the metal coupons are removed, cleaned, and examined under
a light to detect the smallest pinhole. In all, there are two
coupons of each metal and all must be free of even one pinhole.
This is a very strict test!
If a green
discoloration appears on copper pipes after
spraying our product
into walls, this is not the type of corrosion that will put a
hole in a pipe or normally continue beyond the surface. It is a
formation of characteristically green copper sulfate or an ammonio-copper compound, which readily forms on the surface of
copper and brass. You see it all the time on hot water heaters,
pipe joints, exterior copper decorations such as copulas,
flashing, door kickplates, and bronze statues…all of which had
no contact with insulation. Elements in ground water,
chlorinated water, and rainwater will also cause this
discoloration. Sometimes, due to incessant exposure, the copper
or brass will slowly deteriorate. At first, however, this
discoloration acts as a natural protective coating over the
underlying metal.
When a water/evaporation cycle occurs only once or on rare
occasions, there will be very little corrosion beyond this
superficial episode. And even after exposure to water for 14
days, we know the insulation will not cause corrosion damage by
virtue of the required ASTM testing. This is not to say that the
insulation prevents a copper pipe from developing a leak. Leaks
can and will happen due to material defects, corrosive elements
in the water, weak solder joints, vibrations, etc. But you can
be assured the All Tech Insulation products
meets the ASTM and CPSC corrosion testing requirements.
Contact an All Tech Insulation
engineer today (989-826-9999) for a deeper discussion
about your insulation requirements.
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