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Cladding & skins

Insulation jacketing — metals, composites and fabric skins

The jacket does three jobs: weather/mechanical protection, vapour sealing, and — through its emissivity — setting how hot the surface feels and how much it radiates. Choose by environment first, fire case second, emissivity third.

JacketingEmissivity ε (typical)Best for
Aluminium jacketing0.10general outdoor pipe & vessel jacketing under 450 °C surface
Stainless-steel jacketing0.30fire-protection cases, chemical exposure, offshore, food-plant washdown zones
Galvanized-steel jacketing0.28indoor mechanical protection on a budget
GRP / composite jacketing0.90coastal/chemical atmospheres where metal jackets corrode
Silicone-coated glass fabric0.90removable covers on valves, flanges, turbines, pumps — anywhere access is needed
PTFE-coated glass fabric0.90chemical, pharma and food plants with aggressive cleaning regimes

Emissivity values: typical published figures for new/weathered surfaces — bright metals age upward (oxide layers raise ε).

FAQ

Questions on this topic

Does jacketing material affect heat loss?
Yes, through surface emissivity. A bright aluminium jacket (ε≈0.10) radiates far less than a fabric or painted surface (ε≈0.90) — so it loses slightly less heat but runs a HOTTER surface at the same internal duty. High-emissivity skins (coated fabrics, GRP) run cooler to the touch — one reason removable fabric covers hit personnel-protection targets at lower thickness.
Aluminium or stainless steel jacketing?
Aluminium for general outdoor service: lighter, cheaper, corrosion-fine in normal atmospheres. Stainless where fire integrity matters (aluminium melts at 660 °C — hydrocarbon fire cases spec stainless), in chemical exposure, offshore, and washdown zones. Stainless costs 2–3× more.
What protects insulation on components that get opened?
A coated-fabric skin as part of a removable cover — silicone-coated glass fabric for general industry, PTFE-coated for aggressive chemical/washdown service. Metal jacketing can't be repeatedly removed; fabric covers with snap closures can.