The production process of ceramic fiber blanket determines its quality characteristics, which in turn affects the application scenarios.
The spinning process is to pass the molten ceramic raw materials through a high-speed rotating spinning wheel, use centrifugal force to spin the raw materials into filamentary fibers, and then make ceramic fiber blankets through processes such as cotton collection and curing. The fibers produced by this process have a coarse diameter, which makes the fiber blanket have high tensile strength and toughness. Its quality is not easy to break and has strong tear resistance. It has obvious advantages in scenes that require frequent contact and stretching, such as the masonry of industrial kilns and the wrapping of high-temperature pipes. For example, in the laying of blast furnace insulation layers in the metallurgical industry, ceramic fiber blankets made by the spinning process can withstand mechanical stress in high temperature environments and ensure the durability of the insulation effect.
The blowing process is to use high-speed airflow to blow molten ceramic raw materials into finer fibers. Compared with the spinning process, the ceramic fiber blanket produced by the blowing process has a finer fiber diameter and a softer and more delicate texture. Because the fibers are finer, their stacking density is relatively low and the porosity is high, which gives it excellent thermal insulation properties. In scenarios with extremely high insulation requirements and limited installation space, such as engine insulation components in the aerospace field and small high-temperature cavity insulation of electronic equipment, the ceramic fiber blanket produced by the blowing process can achieve efficient insulation in a light and thin form, and its soft texture facilitates the fitting and wrapping of complex shapes.
The spinning and blowing composite process combines the advantages of the first two processes. First, a high-strength fiber skeleton is formed by the spinning process, and then fine fibers are filled by the blowing process, so that the ceramic fiber blanket has both high toughness and excellent thermal insulation. The products produced by this process are of high quality and balanced in various performance indicators. In complex industrial environments such as large petrochemical reactors and glass melting furnaces that have high requirements for insulation, strength, and stability, the ceramic fiber blanket produced by the composite process can not only withstand high-temperature heat loads and mechanical vibrations, but also effectively block heat transfer, meeting many stringent requirements.
Different production processes will affect the chemical composition and structure of the ceramic fiber blanket, and thus affect its chemical stability. The fiber blanket produced by the spinning process has a relatively small specific surface area due to its coarse fibers. In some corrosive gas environments, the chemical reaction contact area is limited and has a certain corrosion resistance; the fiber produced by the blowing process is finer and has a larger specific surface area. If the raw material formula and treatment are improper, it may be more likely to undergo chemical reactions in corrosive environments such as acids and alkalis. The composite process can optimize the chemical stability to a certain extent by rationally adjusting the fiber structure, making it suitable for industrial environments with slightly corrosive gases, such as local insulation in chemical workshops.
The temperature resistance of ceramic fiber blanket is closely related to the production process. During the production process of the spinning process, the crystallinity and organizational structure of the fiber are relatively stable, which can ensure that the fiber blanket maintains structural integrity at higher temperatures and can usually withstand high temperatures of 1000℃ - 1260℃; the fiber blanket produced by the blowing process is more likely to undergo grain growth and structural changes at high temperatures due to its fine fibers, and its upper temperature resistance limit is slightly lower than that of the spinning process; the composite process can improve the overall temperature resistance through scientific fiber ratio and structural design, and is not easy to shrink or deform under high temperature conditions for a long time, and is suitable for high temperature kiln environments with large temperature fluctuations.
The complexity, raw material consumption and equipment requirements of different production processes make the production costs of ceramic fiber blankets different. The spinning process equipment is relatively simple, the raw material utilization rate is high, and the production cost is low. The products are mainly aimed at the industrial basic insulation market that is sensitive to price and has moderate performance requirements; the spraying process has high equipment precision requirements and high energy consumption, and the production cost is high. The products are mostly used in high-end and high value-added fields; the composite process combines multiple advantages, and the production difficulty and cost are also high. Its market positioning is mid-to-high-end, mainly serving large enterprises and special engineering projects that have strict requirements on the comprehensive performance of products.
In actual applications, it is necessary to select ceramic fiber blankets produced by appropriate processes according to specific usage scenarios and needs. If you focus on the strength and tear resistance of the product, and there may be large mechanical operations during the installation process, you should give priority to spinning process products; if you pursue the ultimate insulation effect and soft fit, the spraying process products are more suitable; for complex and harsh industrial environments, you need to take into account multiple performances, and you should choose a ceramic fiber blanket with spinning-spraying composite process. Only by accurately matching the process and the scenario can the performance advantages of ceramic fiber blanket be fully utilized and the best use effect be achieved.
