Industrial insulation · declared data
Aerogel vs mineral wool thickness calculator
Match material thermal resistance at the mean temperature you specify. No generic k-value and no invented cost winner.
At 100 °C mean temperature, 20 mm of Aspen Pyrogel XTE matches 40.0 mm of ROCKWOOL ProRox WM 960 UK by declared material resistance. At 400 °C the equivalent ProRox thickness is 47.8 mm. These values use the exact manufacturer tables and linear interpolation; they do not model a complete pipe or jacket system.
Comparison inputs
Use mean insulation temperature, not automatically the process temperature.
The calculator linearly interpolates only between declared conductivity rows. It does not extrapolate beyond the shared range.
Open method
One transparent comparison
equivalent thickness B = R × λB(mean temperature)
interpolation = linear between adjacent declared rows
What this does not calculate
- Pipe curvature, surface coefficients, radiation or final surface temperature
- Joints, compression, jacketing, thermal bridges or installation workmanship
- Installed cost, service life, CUI outcome or a project-specific product recommendation
Primary sources checked
- Pyrogel XTE Product Data Sheet, Rev 4.2 — Aspen Aerogels.
- ProRox WM 960 UK Product Data Sheet, PEN-03-2-003 — ROCKWOOL Technical Insulation.
- ProRox WM 960 UK product page — ROCKWOOL Technical Insulation.
Static evidence
Declared rows and calculated equivalence
The table stays in HTML for people and answer engines; the same rows are downloadable.
| Mean °C | Pyrogel λ | ProRox λ | Pyrogel mm | Equivalent ProRox mm | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 0.021 | 0.040 | 20.0 | 37.2 | 1.86× |
| 100 | 0.023 | 0.046 | 20.0 | 40.0 | 2.00× |
| 150 | 0.026 | 0.054 | 20.0 | 42.4 | 2.12× |
| 200 | 0.028 | 0.063 | 20.0 | 45.0 | 2.25× |
| 250 | 0.032 | 0.073 | 20.0 | 46.3 | 2.32× |
| 300 | 0.035 | 0.084 | 20.0 | 48.0 | 2.40× |
| 350 | 0.041 | 0.098 | 20.0 | 48.4 | 2.42× |
| 400 | 0.046 | 0.110 | 20.0 | 47.8 | 2.39× |
| 500 | 0.064 | 0.145 | 20.0 | 45.3 | 2.27× |
| 600 | 0.089 | 0.180 | 20.0 | 40.4 | 2.02× |
Conductivity units are W/m·K. The Pyrogel values are declared under a 2 psi compressive load; the products use different test standards. Exact declared points and interpolated comparison rows are separated in the downloads.
Questions answered
Aerogel and mineral-wool questions
How much mineral wool matches 20 mm of aerogel blanket?
Using the declared Pyrogel XTE and ProRox WM 960 UK conductivity tables, 20 mm of Pyrogel XTE matches about 40 mm of ProRox at 100 °C mean temperature and about 47.8 mm at 400 °C. The result is material resistance only, not a complete system design.
What mean temperature should I enter?
Mean temperature is the average temperature through the insulation layer used for the declared conductivity value. It is not automatically the hot-face temperature or the maximum service temperature. A complete design normally solves temperatures iteratively.
Does equivalent material resistance mean equal heat loss on a pipe?
Not necessarily. This comparison uses planar material resistance t divided by lambda. Pipe diameter, curvature, surface coefficients, emissivity, jacketing, joints, compression, thermal bridges and installation quality affect complete-system heat loss.
Which material is cheaper?
This calculator does not claim a cost winner. It contains no current installed-price dataset. Compare project quotations on equal geometry, thermal duty, jacketing, labour, access, service life and inspection requirements.
Can I use the 650 °C maximum as a conductivity-table temperature?
No. Maximum use or service temperature is a separate product limit. The interactive comparison is restricted to 50–600 °C mean temperature because that is the common range covered by both reviewed conductivity tables.
Project decision
Need the complete system compared?
Send geometry, temperatures, access constraints and current insulation so the material choice is assessed inside the actual removable-cover design.