mineral wool loose fill
Unbound mineral fibers used as loose thermal insulation, including rock wool and blast-furnace slag wool.
Mineral wool loose fill is a thermal insulation material made from loose fibers of mineral origin, usually from basalt, diabase, or iron ore blast furnace slag. It is similar to fiberglass in appearance, with airflow resistance depending on its density and installation. Its effectiveness can be reduced temporarily when it becomes wet or moist. This insulation material refers to mineral wool which is not bound together in sheets or other forms, but can be stuffed in any amount to fit the required space in a wall or roof.
The fibers remain loose and can fill a cavity without forming a prefabricated sheet. Mineral-wool boards and batts have different material forms.
Rock-derived fibers and slag-derived fibers are included. Their performance depends on the installed material and its condition, including moisture exposure.
Related definitions
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cellulose loose fill
Particles or loose pieces of organic plant fiber used as thermal insulation. -
fiberglass loose fill
Glass fibers stuffed loosely into wall or roof cavities for thermal insulation. -
granulated cork
Granules of cork-oak bark used as loose thermal insulation in wall or roof spaces. -
hemp loose fill
Loose hemp fibers packed into wall or roof cavities as thermal insulation, generally from low-psychoactivity plant varieties. -
perlite loose fill
Loose expanded perlite particles used as thermal insulation, made by heating naturally occurring volcanic glass. -
straw bales
Bales of straw from grasses such as wheat or rice used as thermal insulation within a building assembly. -
vermiculite loose fill
Loose expanded particles of vermiculite mineral used as thermal insulation in building spaces.