Why is the thermal conductivity of superinsulation orders of magnitude lower than the thermal conductivity of ordinary insulation?

Thermal conductivity is a property of materials that describes how well they conduct heat. A material with a high thermal conductivity can quickly transfer heat from one side to the other, whereas a material with a low thermal conductivity will be slower to transfer heat. Insulation materials are designed to have low thermal conductivity to reduce the amount of heat transfer, ultimately conserving energy and providing comfort in living spaces.

Ordinary insulation materials, such as fiberglass, cellulose, or mineral wool, work by trapping pockets of air within their structure. Air has a low thermal conductivity, meaning it is not a good conductor of heat. By trapping air within the insulation, these materials are able to slow down the transfer of heat, thus providing some level of insulation. However, they are not as effective as superinsulation materials at reducing heat transfer due to their differing structures and material properties.

Superinsulation materials are designed to have even lower thermal conductivity than ordinary insulation materials. They achieve this by having multiple layers of materials, each with its own properties, and by employing different mechanisms to minimize heat transfer. One common type of superinsulation is Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs), which consist of a rigid core surrounded by an airtight envelope filling with a negligible amount of air or by vacuum. The vacuum significantly decreases heat transfer through conduction and convection, as there is almost no gas present to transfer heat. Additionally, the core material itself is made up of materials, such as silica or expanded polystyrene, with extremely low thermal conductivity.

The main reason why superinsulation has a thermal conductivity orders of magnitude lower than ordinary insulation is due to the combination of the materials used and the presence of a vacuum or extremely low density gas. This effectively minimizes heat transfer through conduction and convection and results in a significantly lower thermal conductivity compared to ordinary insulation. In conclusion, superinsulation materials have a substantially lower thermal conductivity than ordinary insulation materials due to their unique structure and the mechanisms they employ to reduce heat transfer. This makes them far more effective at insulating spaces and preserving energy, providing both cost savings and improved comfort in various applications.