I know generally the best insulator is empty space so most insulation materials are just trying to trap as much air as possible while preventing convection.
That all makes sense to me but I can’t make any sense of silicone. Why is silicone such a good thermal insulator? If money wasn’t an option, would silicone make for good insulation in a house?
In: Chemistry
Silicone is not that good of an insulator. It traps heat about as well as other plastics, but plastics are generally decent at trapping heat. It is pretty good at staying strong and not burning or melting at high temperatures, which is why you see it used for oven mitts and other kitchen items that get hot. It’s a good material for that because it doesn’t burn or melt, it is soft and flexible, and it is good enough at insulating.
The foam or fiberglass used to insulate houses is much better than silicone at trapping heat. Maybe 10-100 times better. Foams are just good insulators.
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