Choose The Right Cleanroom Insulation To Cut Hazardous Particulate Emission
By Mike Rust, Global Development Manager – T-FIT® Insulation at Zotefoams plc.
While standards and specifications abound when it comes to the design features, apparel and operator protocols necessary to minimize particulates as a contaminant in cleanrooms, there is little or no formal consideration of the part played by materials such as those used for insulation.
Amid all the attention paid to preventing, monitoring, and controlling particulates, one important aspect is often overlooked: the impact on particulate levels of the thermal insulation that controls the surface temperatures of process pipework and HVAC equipment in and around cleanrooms while conserving energy and providing personal protection for operators.
So far as we can ascertain, there are no recognized independent tests that compare the particulate-emission performance of different insulation materials commonly used in a cleanroom — a situation that is no help to those charged with specifying appropriate insulation solutions.
Here, we consider these issues and describes a test protocol developed to measure the particulate contribution of three different types of insulation during typical cutting and fitting operations within a cleanroom.
Get unlimited access to:
Enter your credentials below to log in. Not yet a member of Pharmaceutical Online? Subscribe today.