Energy Savings in the Asphalt Manufacturing Industry

Summary Typical Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) plants are equipped with hundreds of feet of uninsulated flexible metal "jumper" hoses. The primary function of the "jumper" hose is to transfer hot process oil in a primary jacketed pipe across a connection flange. Traditional insulating technologies that utilize mineral wool and hard aluminum cladding are not capable of servicing these hoses as they have a small diameter and a very tight bend radius. The result is that the "jumper" hoses are left uninsulated and they are a significant source of heat loss costing HMA plants thousands of dollars each year in energy inefficiencies. Recent improvements in thermal insulation technology have finally enabled HMA plants to insulate the neglected "jumper" hoses and recover significant capital in energy savings. The Technology Recent advancements in insulation technology are utilizing closed cell silicone sponge rubber as a primary source of high temperature insulation protection. The advantage of this material is that it has a very low thermal conductivity making it an excellent insulator. In addition silicone sponge rubber is non fiberous unlike traditional mineral wool and it does not required a hard aluminum cladding to contain the insulation materials. The inherent flexibility of silicone sponge rubber in combination with the aforementioned properties, make it an excellent solution for insulating the tight bend radius "jumper" hoses. Economic Benefits Insulating 1