Thinsulate insulation - what is it, where and how is it used

Thinsulate, or, in other words, artificial down, has long won the hearts of those people who are used to purchasing quality items and do not plan to buy new outerwear every season.

Fur coats, bird down coats are no longer as popular as things based on synthetic materials.

Many natural insulations do not have such a long service life as artificial down, and also require extremely delicate care.

A feature of tinsulate insulation is that it form the thinnest threads, with a diameter of about 5 microns. A so-called air gap appears between them, which allows things to retain the heat of the human body and create a layered effect.

The material is made from polyester fibers, which are stretched under heat into the finest synthetic threads. They are twisted into spirals, covered with a layer of silicone, and thin layers of material are formed from them.

There are state standards for the manufacture of overalls using thinsulate, which indicate to what temperature it is designed and in which climatic zones this insulation can be used.

Since this insulation is able to withstand extremely low temperatures, it is in accordance with GOST can be used in climatic zones of protection class 1-4 (from -7°С to -41°С and below). It also meets all the requirements for heat-shielding properties set by the standards, which allows it to be used in extreme conditions without fear for life and health.

Varieties and their differences

Many do not know what tinsulate has many varieties, and not every wardrobe item has the same type of material. It is customary to distinguish between several main types:

• Ultra. It has a maximum density, a rather voluminous material, in comparison with other types. It is used, as a rule, when sewing outerwear for everyday wear, as well as for classic ski and tourist suits.
• Classic. It has medium frost resistance, suitable for the manufacture of wardrobe items for the off-season.
• Flex. It has good elasticity, a rather thin fabric is used in clothes for active or professional sports.
• Lite Loft. Expensive, widely used in the manufacture of tourist equipment. It is popular with those who plan long and long hikes, as it has a high compression density and can decrease several times. Things made on the basis of LiteLoft thinsulate are light and mobile.
• Thinsulate insulation Ultra Extreme Performance for Footwear for clothing, designed for survival in extreme conditions.

In addition to the above types of material, it is also distinguished by density: it comes with markings C, B, Tib and P, where C is the lightest type of thinsulate, and P is the most dense and frost-resistant.

Performance characteristics and properties, advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of the material include:

The main disadvantages of the material are:

• Enough high price.
• The ability to accumulate static electricity.
• Potential danger of overheating of the body. Despite the fact that it is precisely for the excellent thermal insulation that thinsulate is valued, nevertheless, if you use clothes from this material for other purposes, you can easily get hyperthermia.

Requirements for overalls, photo

Artificial down, due to its above characteristics, has found wide application in the production of specialized clothing. It has a number of requirements:

• Required total thermal resistance.
• Ability provide maximum comfort to maintain efficiency and health during prolonged exposure to low temperatures.
• Availability of functional accessories.
• No "migration" of fibers. In other words, artificial fluff should not be deformed.

The new thinsulate filler for down jackets looks like in the photo:

Thinsulate-based clothing is made for workers in industries such as oil refining, woodworking, coal and many others. In addition, hunting, fishing and ski resorts are indispensable without overalls.

Thinsulate is used as a filler for the following types of overalls:

• a set of jacket and trousers;
• a set of jackets and semi-overalls;
• overalls;
• vest and trousers set.

Special clothing can be supplemented with insulated shoes, gloves and other accessories.

Use in other areas

Thinsulate is also used in the manufacture of such specific things as:

• diving suits;
• suits for astronauts;
• ski boots and helmets;
• thermal underwear.

Clothing with artificial down is very actively used by residents of the Far North. It should be noted that the production of children's things with this insulation is gaining popularity. Warm envelopes in the stroller, overalls, blankets and blankets will help the child feel as comfortable as possible on a winter walk.

Average prices, nuances of care

Caring for products insulated with artificial down is quite simple.. You ask how to wash thinsulate and what temperature to choose? They perfectly tolerate frequent washing in the washing machine or dry cleaning.

However, thinsulate does not like excessively high temperatures, so it is best to wash it in warm or cool water.

It is best to dry clothes based on artificial down at natural air temperature, in no case on a radiator.

Necessary adhere to the following rules when caring for clothes:

• use liquid detergents;
• in the automatic washing mode, set an additional number of rinses (at least two);
• pre-wash especially contaminated areas of clothing;
• for faster drying, set the intensive spin mode.

Due to the fact that thinsulate is a rather plastic material, things based on it can be stored in vacuum packaging in order to save space. The properties of the clothes will not change in any way.

The table below shows the average prices for things insulated with artificial down.

As can be seen from the table above, Thinsulate-based garments are relatively expensive, however, their cost fully justifies itself with its service life and versatility.