T-FIT® Clean Insulation is manufactured from Zotefoams ZOTEK® F42 HT LS fine, closed cell PVDF foam, the only foam product to be specification tested to FM4910 Clean Room Materials Protocol.
Introduction to comparison of foam pipe insulation materials
T-FIT® Clean consistently outperforms the competition in the most demanding cleanroom and manufacturing environments. Fire-retardant, moisture and bacteria-resistant, T-FIT® Clean is the only insulation solution that complies with internationally-recognised cleanroom standards. The comparative data shown in the table below is based on readily available product information for foam pipe insulation materials that are typically located on manufacturers websites.
Comparing Melamine and PVDF Foam Pipe Insulation
| Feature | T-FIT Clean | Melamine Foam | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base polymer | PVDF | Melamine | PVDF produced with zero FR/UV/ant-microbial additives, Melamine use of additives not known |
| Material Brand | ZOTEK F | Various | ZOTEK F produced by Zotefoams plc. |
| Structure | Closed Cell | Open cell | T-FIT fully closed cell, even if damaged |
| Jacket required | No | Yes | Melamine based product require outer jacket to prevent water/vapour absorption |
| Minimum gauge | 6.35mm – 1/4″ | 25mm – 1″ | By it’s nature T-FIT can be supplied at ¼″/6.35mm |
| E84 reaction to fire | 0/0 | 25/50 | This the standard used by UL to test to UL723 |
| UL723 | 0/0 | Test not found | UL independently test/verify result for T-FIT |
| FM4910 | Yes | Test not found | Independent specification test by Factory Mutual of T-FIT Clean for use in clean rooms |
| Euroclass EN13501 | B S1 D0 | Test not found | B S1 D0 is the best result for a polymer insulation product |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.0347 | 0.039 | Expressed in W/m.K at 25°C, melamine 12.5% higher than T-FIT |
| Ease of installation | Easy/fast | Care/jacketing | Making sure outer cladding is sealed properly takes time and skill |
| System supply | Yes | No | T-FIT is supplied with elbows, tee’s, insulation boxes, tape and adhesive |
| Density variation | +/- 15% | +/- 43% | Thermal performance must be impacted given a wide variance on melamine density |
| Particulates | No | Yes | Fume cupboard testing clearly shows no particulate release form T-FIT Clean |
| Surface voids | None | Yes | Melamine data sheet states “upper limit 10 voids per m², range 5 to 15mm” |
| VOC/AMC emissions | Very low | Test not found | Total VOC measurement 9 ug/g for ZOTEK F, outgassing from jacketing not found |
| Upper Service temp | 160°C/320°F peak | 176°C/350°F | Melamine based on ASTM C356/1410 based on 24 hours testing only |
| Lower service temp | -80°C/-112°F | -40°C/-40°F | Informal testing indicates T-Fit Clean can operate at ~-195°C |
| Compression/recovery | Excellent | Very Poor | T-FIT Clean is crosslinked, deformation of melamine can cause failure of cladding system |
| Resistance to fungal attack | None after 28 days | Test not found | According to ASTM G21 – 15, test data not found for jacketing |
| UV resistance | Very high | Test not found | PVDF is naturally UV resistant |
Comparing Elastomeric and PVDF Foam Pipe Insulation
| Feature | T-FIT Clean | Elastomeric | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base polymer | PVDF | NBR/PVC | EPDM | PVDF produced with zero FR/UV/ant-microbial additives |
| Material Brand | ZOTEK F | Various | Various | ZOTEK F produced by Zotefoams plc |
| Structure | Closed Cell | Closed cell | Closed cell | T-FIT fully closed cell, even if damaged |
| Minimum gauge | 6.36mm – 1/4″ | 13mm – 1/2″ | 13mm – 1/2″ | By it’s nature T-FIT can be supplied at ¼″/6.35mm, elastomeric generally 13mm – 1/2″ |
| UL723/E84 | 0/0 | Test not found | 25/50 | UL independently test/verify results of E84 testing |
| FM4910 | Yes | Test not found | Test not found | Independent specification test by Factory Mutual of T-FIT Clean for use in clean rooms |
| Euroclass EN13501 | B S1 D0 | B S3 D0 | D S3 D0 | B S1 D0 is the best result for a polymer insulation product |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.0314 | 0.033 | 0.041 | Expressed in W/m.K at 0°C |
| Ease of installation | Easy/fast | Skills needed | Skills needed | Fittings need to be fabricated to install Elastomeric insulation |
| System supply | Yes | No | No | T-FIT Clean is supplied with elbows, tee’s, insulation boxes, tape and adhesive |
| VOC/AMC emissions | 17.95 | 280 | 352 | Based on Exyte testing according to VDI 2083-P17, measured in ug/g |
| Upper service temp | 160°C/320°F peak | 110°C/230°F | 125°C/257°F | Elastomeric data based on 72 hour testing only |
| Lower service temp | -80°C/-112°F | -40°C/-40°F | -50°C/-58°F | Informal testing indicates T-FIT Clean can operate at ~-195°C |
| WVDR μ value | 6,500 | 10,000 | 3,000 | Water Vapour Diffusion Resistance measurement |
| Compression/recovery | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Crosslinked nature of T-FIT Clean prevents permanent deformation when compressed |
| Fungal resistance | None after 28 days | Test not found | Level 2 growth | According to ASTM G21 – 15 |
| UV resistance | Very high | No | Yes | PVDF is naturally UV resistant |
Comparing Stonewool HVAC and PVDF Foam Pipe Insulation
| Feature | T-FIT Clean | Stonewool H&V | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base polymer | PVDF | Stonewool fibres | PVDF produced with zero FR/UV/ant-microbial additives, Melamine use of additives not known |
| Material Brand | ZOTEK F | Various | ZOTEK F produced by Zotefoams plc. |
| Structure | Closed Cell | Open cell | T-FIT fully closed cell, even if damaged |
| Jacket required | No | Yes | Fibre based product require outer jacket to prevent water/vapour absorption |
| Minimum gauge | 1/4″ | 20mm – 3/4″ | By it’s nature T-FIT can be supplied at ¼″/6.35mm |
| UL723/E84 reaction to fire | 0/0 | Test not found | UL independently test/verify results of E84 testing |
| FM4910 | Yes | Test not found | Independent specification test by Factory Mutual of T-FIT Clean for use in clean rooms |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.032 | 0.033 | Expressed in W/m.K at 10°C/50°F |
| Ease of installation | Easy/fast | Care/slow | Making sure outer cladding is sealed properly takes time and skill, fittings fabricated from straights |
| System supply | Yes | No | T-FIT is supplied with elbows, tee’s, insulation boxes, tape and adhesive |
| Particulates | No | Yes | Fume cupboard testing clearly shows no particulate release form T-FIT Clean |
| VOC/AMC emissions | Very low | Not found | Total VOC measurement 9 ug/g for ZOTEK F, outgassing from jacketing not found |
| Upper service temp | 160°C/320°F peak | 250°C/482°F | Surface temperature not to exceed 80°C/176°F to maintain cladding bond strength |
| Lower service temp | -80°C/-112°F | 0°C/32°F | Informal testing indicates T-FIT Clean can operate at ~-195°C/383°F |
| Compression/recovery | Excellent | Very poor | Crosslinked nature of T-FIT Clean prevents permanent deformation when compressed |
| Fungal resistance | None after 28 days | Test not found | According to ASTM G21 – 15 |
Choosing the right insulation for your facility is crucial for efficiency, compliance, and long-term performance. To help you make an informed decision when choosing insulation, please use our Pipe Insulation Comparison Tool.
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T-FIT® and ZOTEK® are registered trademarks of Zotefoams plc. All rights reserved. Issue 1
