Product

TPSX-12™ Calcium Silicate

Features

Benefits

Applications

• TPSX-12 is a filter pressed, high-temperature calcium silicate (calsil) pipe and block insulation manufactured by BEC Industrial (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, imported exclusively by Thermal Pipe Shields Inc. and sold through their nationwide network of distribution partner companies.

• Third party verified to meet or exceed all physical property requirements in accordance with ASTM C533 Type I.

• Engineered to protect industrial piping and equipment operating continuously at temperatures up to 1200℉ (650℃).

• Contains integral inorganic silicate chemistry to inhibit corrosion under insulation (CUI).

Safety

• Calsil insulation has a 40+ year history of use for mid-high temperature industrial process piping, storage tanks and equipment. It is the workhorse insulation for oil refineries, power and chemical plants, and pulp and paper mills.

• Many engineers and maintenance planners specify calsil insulation in areas of the plant where there is a risk of damage to the metal jacketing due to physical abuse or workers walking or climbing on pipes and equipment.

• Due to a historical monopoly of the United States calsil market, there is a perception that calsil insulation will always cost much more than lower compressive strength alternatives such as mineral fiber or thin blankets.

• TPSX-12 creates organic competition in the calsil market to allow owners to specify and purchase a stronger, readily available material with a cost closer to fibrous insulations.

• TPSX-12 does not contain asbestos, mercury or lead. • Calcium silicate is produced with amorphous silica, not

crystalline silica which is subject to new OSHA exposure limits. • No formaldehyde binders to oxidize at high temperatures. • Provides consistent thermal performance at high temperatures

to protect plant workers from burn injuries. • Non-combustible insulation when tested in accordance with

ASTM E136. Calsil withstands direct flame impingement. • 0 flame spread and 0 smoke developed per ASTM E84. • Calsil maintains its thickness and insulating performance

throughout its long service life to protect plant assets, provide stable process control and prevent burn injuries caused by inadvertent contact with high temperature systems.

• Unlike other wet molded calsil insulations, which can be damaged in transit or during installation, TPSX-12 is produced using a more consistent filter pressing process creating a much more physically robust product without adding additional density, or changing other physical properties and performance criteria.

• In addition, the filter pressing process provides on average twice as much compressive strength vs. the ASTM minimum requirement and is 40% stronger then the incumbent molded calsil produced in the United States.

• Produced in 3’ lengths and available in a wide assortment of IPS pipe sizes with configurations designed to maximize shipping container yields.

• Highest compressive strength of any industrial insulation supports the metal jacketing and stands up to physical abuse or foot traffic during construction and operations.

• Non-combustible insulations may add a measure of passive fire protection when used in conjunction with stainless steel jacketing. (Contact TPS Technical Services)

• Integral inorganic silicate chemistry actively inhibits the corrosion mechanism by forming an on demand passivation layer and a pH buffering effect in the presence of absorbed water due to a failure in the weather barrier.

Industrial Data Sheet-100: 3-18Thermal Pipe Shields Inc. +1.833.4CALSIL (422-5745)

TPSX-12™ Calcium Silicate

History• Calcium silicate (calsil) insulation was developed in 1973 as a high temperature replacement for asbestos pipe insulation

and has been the workhorse of the industrial market ever since. Over time, the original formula became associated with higher rates of corrosion under insulation (CUI) and fell out of favor in many industrial plants and specifications. In 2001, the United States monopoly supplier made a wholesale change over to their formula to include integral inorganic silicate chemistry proven to inhibit CUI. This improved formula has been validated by 15+ years of data from the lab and field.

• The BEC factory in Shanghai began manufacturing calsil in 1987 using the old formulation. In 2004, the U.S. monopoly supplier approached the owners of the Shanghai factory and formed a formal joint venture (JV). The purpose of the joint JV was to leverage a lower material cost basis for the U.S. supplier to import calsil into North America and to provide a more geographically desirable factory to service the Far & Middle East markets. One requirement of the JV was for the BEC Shanghai factory to also initiate the SAME wholesale change over of their formula to include the integral inorganic silicate chemistry proven to inhibit CUI. While BEC changed their formula, they continued using the filter pressing manufacturing process that had been abandoned in the U.S. by the late 1990’s. The BEC product provided all of the same physical properties required by ASTM C533 type I and met the very strict manufacturing tolerances and specifications required by the North American market, with one major exception. The resultant compressive strength of BEC filter pressed calsil is twice as strong as the ASTM minimum requirements (200 psi vs. 100 psi).

• Recently, the JV was dissolved by the U.S. monopoly calsil supplier and BEC was forced to find its’ own path back into the large North American calsil market. The exclusive agreement reached between BEC and TPS to market TPSX-12 calsil insulation effectively breaks up the monopoly and restores economic competition to the industrial insulation market.

Specification ComplianceASTM C533, Type I Material Standard

Meets or Exceeds All Test Methods

ASTM C302/C303 Dry Density (Avg.)

13.75 lbs. per cu. ft. (220 kg/m3)

ASTM C165 Compressive Strength

>200 psi @ 5% strain (1378 kPa)

ASTM C203 Flexural Strength

>50 psi (344 kPa)

ASTM C356 Linear Shrinkage

<2.0% after 24 hr. soaking heat @ 1200℉ (650℃)

ASTM C447 Max Service Temp

1200℉ (650℃)

ASTM C421 Abrasion Resistance

Weight Loss by Tumbling <15% after 10 minutes

ASTM C692/C871/C795 Corrosion Tests (Stainless) Passes

ASTM C1617 Mass Loss Corrosion (Ferrous)

Passes <DI Water Control

ASTM E136 Non-Combustible

Passes

ASTM E84 Surface Burning Properties

Flame Spread - 0 Smoke Developed - 0

Industrial Data Sheet-100: 3-18

ASTM C585- Pipe Sizes Standard 3’ lengths

1/2-12 Two piece clamshells

14-28 Preformed Tri or Quads

30-40 Preformed Hexes

42-126 Curved Radius Block (CRB)

Flat Block

Plain or 3-V Scored

Size configurations specifically engineered to reduce lead times, increase installation efficiency with lighter, less bulky pieces, maximize packed container volumes to reduce shipping costs and reduce footprint required in construction lay down yards.

Thermal Pipe Shields Inc. +1.833.4CALSIL (422-5745)

TPSX-12™ Calcium Silicate

ASTM C335 (P IPE) THERMAL CONDUCTIVIT Y: ΔT VS. AMBIENT > 200℉

K-VA

LUE

(BTU

-IN/H

-FT2

-℉)

0.200.300.400.500.600.700.80

MEAN TEMPERATURE (℉)

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

TPSX-12 THIRD PARTY TESTED ASTM C533 MAX ALLOWABLE

Industrial Data Sheet-100: 3-18

Contact: David Shong, CIEA Vice President of Industrial Business Development & Technical Services Mobile: +1.435.256.3227 Email: david.shong@thermalpipeshields.com Website: www.thermalpipeshields.com Blog: www.calsil-insulation.com

• The most conservative method for engineers to determine industrial insulation thickness requirements is to use ASTM C335 maximum allowable thermal conductivity data points. Once the supplier is selected, value engineering can be considered based on lower published thermal values to add factors of safety or potentially reduce insulation thickness/cost.

• ASTM C335 is the most conservative, real world test method for calculating high temperature processes exposed to outdoor ambient weather conditions commonly encountered in most areas of industrial plants.

• Fourier’s Law states heat flux (Q) is proportional to difference in temperature gradient (ΔT). Since thermal conductivity attempts to approximate heat flux, one must understand the ΔT of the test method being cited for published values.

• Some industrial insulation manufacturers choose to only provide ASTM C177 or C518 (flat) data where ΔT is typically <200℉. While this may be appropriate for buildings or near ambient temperature process piping, C177 values can be up to 32% lower (better) than C335 values depending on mean temperature and can result in under engineering of the insulation thickness. This strategy can lead to less predictable process control, higher than expected heat loss and hotter surface temps.

• We strongly encourage designers to utilize C335 data for any industrial process wherein the operating temperature is >200 above the ambient air temperature.

Understanding Thermal Data

Thermal Pipe Shields Inc. +1.833.4CALSIL (422-5745)