RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Insulation Types That Can Be Used Inside a Sub

Without trying to sound flip, I'm thinking that if your sub floods; mold should be the least of your concerns. One, you're gonna bail and the sub is going to be at the bottom unless you've got enough displacement with the insulation to provide positive bouyancy. Second, I'm guessing that if the sub floods, a complete teardown will be required to ensure the integrity of the sub hull and framing members including ripping out the insulation to get down to the metal. Not to mention that any/all electronics/electrical connections will have to be removed and replaced.

You may have a legitimate point regarding compression of material and its effects inside a hyberbaric chamber, but for a working sub I think your concerns about compression ruining the insulation material and/or bouyancy issues involved with flooding aren't worth worrying about. Regarding the type of material, I know some subs of the 40's and 50's used cork insulation on the hull and frame members.

Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org [mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org]On Behalf Of Brent Hartwig
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 8:11 PM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Insulation Types That Can Be Used Inside a Sub

This is a subject I've been thinking about for some time now for my live aboard sub ideas as well as for smaller craft. Most insulation choices out there are porous to external air. This means that it can get wet and oh so moldy. Also if you ever flood your sub in any way you'll have allot of work to do. Urethane foam may work well for some designs. I've seen some become old and powdery after a few years but that maybe because of a bad mix and/or UV damage. Urethane foam wouldn't work for me because I want my subs to be able to be used as hyperbaric chambers for both general health benefits at 2 atmospheres as well as for divers with the bends. With this in mind I wouldn't expect urethane foam not to stand up to the internal pressure of the sub(s). If you have a dive boat that is also a submarine that can take care of a divers hyperbaric chamber needs at the dive sight I know it could save lives.

One insulation type with a reasonable R value that is sealed and can compress under hyperbaric pressure, is a foil covered expensive version of bubble wrap called bubble foil insulation. One brand is call Radiant Guard.

http://www.radiantguard.com/BubbleInsulation.html

You can find bubble foil insulation at most large hardware stores. One problem though is that because it will compress under pressure it won't help your buoyancy if your sub starts to flood.

This is why I was thinking syntactic foam may be the answer for all my requirements. From what I understand syntactic foam would not compress under pressure. So if your sub floods it will help in your buoyance as well as keeping it's shape and insulation value if internal pressure is raised. In addition to all that if water and air can't get into the syntactic foam then you won't have the mold problems I mentioned or the need to replace insulation if your sub floods. Now since I have not as yet worked with syntactic foam I would love to hear any bodies thoughts on this that have used it as well as others.

The great merit of society is to make one appreciate solitude.
-- Charles Chincholles

Being alone in your submarine can be a wondrous thing.

Brent Hartwig