Rockwool

Product Information

Rockwool Insulation
The Sustainable Solution
In 1987, the Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as
development that meets with the need of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their

 The use of non scarce natural and renewable raw

materials in producing Rockwool insulation.
 ROCKWOOL insulation are fire safe with high thermal

own needs (Brundtland, 1987). For insulation materials, this

resistance, dimensionally stable, good sound absorption

means that they should be produced and used with the small-

and able to repel water.

est possible impact on resources, humans and nature over

 ROCKWOOL products uses raw materials that do not

the full life cycle of the product.The most sustainable energy

contain substances that are carcinogenic or toxic to

is saved energy. ROCKWOOL insulation is the sustainable solu-

reproduction (CMR substances) or 'very high concern' or

tion for the following reasons:

ozone-depleting substances.
 ROCKWOOL insulation can be recycled at the end of the
life of the building element where it is used.

Key Benefits of
ROCKWOOL Products

Energy Savings
Air-conditioning is monitored at 22oC for both insulated and
non-insulated building. The operation hours are from 07:00 to
18:00 as normal working hours. The higher the thermal resis-

Fire Safety
One of the unique features of ROCKWOOL products is its fire
resistant properties, where it is able to withstand temperatures

tance, the lower the U-value and the thermal transmittance of

heat through the wall and roof.

of up to 1000oC. It is non-combustible tested to EN13501-1

and does not contribute to fire load within buildings, hence
improving and enhancing fire safety. This is due to its unique
in-built cohesiveness and layering of the fibres, keeping the
structure intact and maintaining its rigidity thereby protecting the material from the effects of high temperatures. With
such fire retardant characteristics, a wide range of ROCKWOOL

Insulated Building

Non-insulated Building

Roof U-value
(W/mK)

0.52

2.17

External wall
U-value (W/mK)

0.58

4.07

OTTV (WWR %)
(W/m)

63.68

74.2

2496.65 GJoule, or
693,569.4Kwh/year

2884.67 GJoule, or
801,361.3Kwh/year

13.45%

MYR 43,116.80

products are used to improve fire safety in buildings, as well as

Energy
Consumption

industrial applications and in marine sector such as offshore

Energy Saving

constructions.

Cost Saving

ROCKWOOL stone wool passed the following tests which

Table 1: Energy Saving With Insulation on a Typical Office Building

under Tropical Climate

relates to the performance of insulation material to the reaction of fire, namely non-combustibility, no flame spread and no

ROCKWOOL insulation saves energy and does not emit harmful

toxic smoke development.

by-products. The amount of energy saved by using ROCKWOOL

insulation over its whole life cycle is vastly greater than the

Test Standard

Description

Country

amount of energy spent in producing it. Table 1 above shows

BS 476 Part 4

Fire Tests on Building Materials and

Structures Non-Combustibility Test
for Materials

South East
Asia

the comparisons of energy consumption rate between an office

BS 476 Part 6

Fire Tests on Building Materials and

Structures Method of Test for Fire
Propagation for Products

South East
Asia

BS 476 Part 7

Fire Tests on Building Materials

and Structures Method of Test to
Determine the Classification of the
Surface Spread of Flame of Products

South East
Asia

Fire Classification of Construction

Products and Building Elements
Classification Using Data from
Reaction to Fire Tests

EU countries,
South East
Asia, India

EN 13501-1

building insulated with ROCKWOOL products and one that is not

insulated.
When building elements are insulated using ROCKWOOL
products, the U-value, also known as the heat transmission
value, are significantly reduced. This can be observed in the
roof application and external wall like masonry wall linings.
Coupled with long life cycle and its excellent thermal insulation performances, ROCKWOOL insulation reduces energy
consumption, and saves on energy costs. Just as important,
ROCKWOOL insulation contributes to a greener and more sustainable environment by reducing emissions of CO2 produced
by the HVAC systems used to cool down the building.

High Ability to Fit

ROCKWOOL can closely knit at the joints and fit closely into
internal building structures without leaving gaps and voids.
Their long-term dimensional stability means that they stay in
place, and keep their shape when installed internally. Even
after 50 years, Rockwool products maintain the same
performance levels.

Acoustic Performances
Thermal insulation and acoustic performances of the building
elements are important for the indoor comfort of the occupants. Acoustic control and noise reduction using ROCKWOOL
insulation solves environmental problems in schools, offices,
public institutions and industrial premises. Installing ROCKWOOL products provide real reduction in external noise from

High Durability
ROCKWOOL products are highly durable with high dimensional
stability and mechanical strength in stiffness that does not
change at different temperatures and humidity in the atmosphere. It does not expand or contract due to temperature
variances, nor affected by the presence of moisture. Therefore,
ROCKWOOL insulation can be used internally or externally
while still maintaining its original thickness throughout the
lifetime of the building.
Suitable for use in internal spaces and is lightweight,
ROCKWOOL insulation is manufactured with slightly flexible edges that allows the product to knit together at butt
joints and fit closely into building elements without leaving
gaps. With superior dimensional stability, it stays in place and
remain in shape for a long period of time. The dimensional
stability of ROCKWOOL stone wool prevents it from slumping, sagging, or warping. This is important for the long term
performance and durability of the insulation used in the
building elements.

traffic or adjacent spaces, such as noise coming from nearby

floors and rooms.
ROCKWOOL slab and blanket range of products provide high
level of sound absorption properties. When used in insulating walls, roofs and in some cases under floors they prevent
intruding noise from outside or from adjacent rooms.

For example, 50 mm thick of

The Laboratory Measurement of Random Incidence Sound Absorption

to BS EN ISO 354:2003 for ThermalRock B40 1200x600x50mm 40kg/m3

ROCKWOOL stone wool is able to

improve the acoustic performance

Sound Absorption Coefficient

up to STC 8 in a building element.

1.2

Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC)

is a scalar representation of the

1.1

amount of sound energy absorbed

upon striking a particular surface.

NRC value of 0 indicates perfect

reflection whereas NRC 1.0 indicates perfect absorption of sound

0.9

energy.
ROCKWOOL insulation provides

0.8

excellent sound absorption properties with the sound absorption

of 50 mm, when tested under the
standard BS EN ISO 354:2003.
When used as wall covering or
lining in surface sound absorption,
it improves indoor speech intelligibility, providing for better com-

0.7

Absorption Coefficeint

property of NRC 1.0 at thickness

0.6

0.5

munication and concentration at

work. The unique non-directional

0.4

fibre structure of ROCKWOOL

insulation with the air-filled
interconnected voids makes it a

0.3

material with good noise absorbing qualities.

0.2

0.1

0
100

160
125

250
200

400
315

630
500

1000
800

1600
1250

2500
2000

4000
3150

5000

Frequency, Hz

Water Repellence and Fungal Growth

ROCKWOOL products are both water repellent and moisture

The tropical climate and lifestyle practices in Asia creates an

resistant. Moisture and nutrients are necessary conditions for

environment that expose buildings to moisture and humidity,

mould growth. ROCKWOOL products are made from more than

either directly from weather or from other forms of usage of

95% of inorganic fibres, therefore there is little nutrients to

the building. An example for this could be when cooling causes

allow fungal growth. Because of this and the product's water

condensation due to differential temperatures from one space

repellency, there is no need to add fungicide (Klamer et al.).

to another.
ROCKWOOL insulation's water vapour permeance allows for
This creates a concern about the resistance of building materi-

faster drying making it breathable and able to restore to its

als to resist moisture and humidity and the ability of insula-

original state of insulation value. Such superior water resis-

tion products to withstand it. This important criterion can be

tance is maintained throughout the life cycle of the product.

measured through the water absorption rate in accordance

ROCKWOOL insulation does not promote rot, corrosion, and

to EN1609. The average water absorption rate of ROCKWOOL

fungi or mould growth.

insulation (partial immersion) is 0.12 kg/m2.

Green Energy Office Building of Malaysia's Energy Centre

Passive House in Denmark

The Way Forward

The enormous potential for energy savings has been the

Two examples from Switzerland illustrate even further

motivation for authorities strengthening demands for better

reductions in energy demand. The first example from Basel

insulation in buildings. ROCKWOOL plays a central role in

shows how a multiple family home was renovated so that it

responding to these requirements.

needs zero energy for heating, hot water and air ventilation
system with heat recovery.

One example is the Passivhaus, which uses increased

insulation as a key feature. The Passivhaus is an affordable

The renovation involved additional insulation, a stone wool

low energy building with optimal indoor comfort that can

external facade (20 cm thick), and extra stone wool in the attic

achieve an 8090% heating energy saving in comparison

(U-value < 0.10 W/mK). Thermal collectors, large 40 m water

to the average European building stock. The Passivhaus

storage, a heat pump and photovoltaic cells were also installed.

can have an annual heating (or cooling) demand up to 1.5 l

heating oil/m (http://www.passiv.de). This is achieved with

The second example is a newly built double family house in

thick insulation, simple but optimised construction details

Riehen, near Basel. This Plus energy or Active house pro-

(such as ventilation with heat recovery), an airtight build-

duces more energy than it needs. The house was insulated with

ing envelope to prevent drafts and triple glazing to diminish

stone wool, and a sun-water heat pump and photovoltaic cells

heat loss through windows (www.architekturbuch.de/media/

were also installed. The U-value for the roof is 0.109 W/mK.

docs/101709_innen1.pdf).
Rockwool stone wool insulation against heat was used
As the name implies, measures necessary to achieve a

on external faades and the roof at the Malaysian Energy

Passivhaus are mainly passive. Once installed, they perform

Centre building in Bangi, Malaysia. Other measures such as

throughout the lifetime of the building without needing

double-glazed windows, energy efficient lighting, cooling and

maintenance, except for a change of ventilation filter once or

ventilation systems, and photovoltaic cells were also used,

twice a year.

resulting in a total energy consumption of 6.5 l oil/m a year,

a quarter of a conventional buildings energy consumption.

Health Aspects of
ROCKWOOL Products
In October 2001, the International Agency for Research

During laboratory testing, ROCKWOOL insulation products

on Cancer (IARC, part of the World Health Organization)

have been characterised as non-dusty when compared with

evaluated its 1987 classification of mineral wool (rock [stone]

other insulation materials (National Institute of Occupational

wool, insulation glass wool) and removed them from its list

Health).

of possible carcinogens. The reclassification was based on

new data from epidemiological studies, showing no evidence

In some circumstances, coarse fibres can cause temporary

of increased risk of cancer related to occupational exposure

itching on the skin. In order to minimise exposure to dust,

to mineral wool fibres. Furthermore, long-term inhalation

recommended work practices are provided in the Material

studies in rats have shown no excess risk of tumours (IARC

Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), and in pictograms on the packaging

Monograph). This confirms that ROCKWOOL products are safe

material for some products.

to handle.

Indoor Environment

wool the better choice as an insulation material as it does not

It is also equally important that when mineral wool products

emit harmful substances to the environment that may affect

are used as part of the building element, they do not cause any

the health of the occupants.

negative impact to the environment and its surroundings. They

should instead be eco-friendly and not causing any harm to

ROCKWOOL insulation products do not produce unpleasant

the occupants and to the environment. Made from basalt rock,

smell or odour; when tested under ASTM C665-06 the results

the ROCKWOOL insulation product is recyclable and it also

showed there were no perceptible odour present.

contains pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled contents.

ROCKWOOL products are listed in Singapore Green Building
The unique combination of properties in ROCKWOOL products

Council (SGBC) and when used in green building design such

make it very versatile for insulation purposes in buildings. It

as Green Mark in Singapore or Green Building Index (GBI) in

is durable, sustainable, fire resistant, denser and resistant to

Malaysia, it contributes to several scoring criteria as below,

incidental water. The variety of products available makes it

making it an excellent choice of insulation material.

an appropriate, long-term energy efficient solution for many

1. Energy Efficiency of Building Envelope

exterior and interior applications.

2. Indoor Air Quality

SGBP 2012-081
SGBP 2012-084
SGBP 2012-085

Based on ASTM D5116 on emission rate tests, ROCKWOOL

insulation products pass all criteria as required by the standard with the results in below tables. The low volatile organic
content (VOC) and formaldehyde makes ROCKWOOL stone

Table 1: Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) Emission Rate Test Result
Sample
"ThermalRock B40" Product Samples

Test Results (After 24 hours)

Criteria for Singapore Green Label Product

Inferred Result

0.06mg per m per hour

0.25mg per m per hour or less

Pass

Test Results (After 24 hours)

Criteria for Singapore Green Label Product

Inferred Result

<0.02mg per m per hour

0.02mg per m per hour or less

Pass

Test Results (After 24 hours)

Criteria for Singapore Green Label Product

Inferred Result

Not detected

0.0065mg per m per hour or less

Pass

Test Results (After 24 hours)

Criteria for Singapore Green Label Product

Inferred Result

<0.003mg per m

<0.01mg per m

Pass

Table 2: Formaldehyde Emission Rate Test Result

Sample
"ThermalRock B40" Product Samples

Table 3: 4-Phenylcyclohexene Emission Rate Test Result

Sample
"ThermalRock B40" Product Samples

Table 4: Total Phthalate Emission Test Result

Sample
"ThermalRock B40" Product Samples

Table 5: Total Particles Emission Test Result

Sample
"ThermalRock B40" Product Samples

Test Results (After 24 hours)

Criteria for Singapore Green Label Product

Inferred Result

<0.02mg per m

<0.02mg per m

Pass

Eco-Toxicological and
Environmental Evaluation
Aquatic tests have shown that stone wool fibres have no toxicity towards algae, daphnia and fish (DHI).
The waste of all ROCKWOOL products should be classified as
non-hazardous waste (waste accepted at landfills for nonhazardous waste) in accordance with Section 2.2 of EC Decision 2003/33 EC under the code 170604 because:
 of the IARC re-evaluation in 2001
 stone wool has a chemical composition similar to average
crustal rocks and participates in the natural rock cycle
(Dahl et al.)
 leaching tests of ROCKWOOL products generally comply
with the criteria for acceptance of waste at a landfill
for inert waste and fully comply with the criteria for
acceptance of waste at a landfill for inorganic waste with
low organic content (Hjelmar).
Further information on national waste regulation should be
sought from the local ROCKWOOL organisation.
An example of the eco-friendliness of stone wool is further
documented by the use of stone wool (Grodan) as a substrate for greenhouse-grown vegetables.

The Rockwool Group

The ROCKWOOL Group is a global leader within the
insulation industry. Together with other buildingrelated products, such as acoustic ceilings and
cladding boards, the Group ensures energy-efficient
and fire-safe buildings with good acoustics, quality
faades and a comfortable indoor climate.
Business areas outside the building industry include
substrates for the agriculture industry, special stone
wool fibres for brake linings and gaskets, and vibration control systems for roads and railways.
The ROCKWOOL Group has approximately 8,000
employees in more than 30 countries and customers all over the world. The Group has been producing
stone wool for more than 70 years and with factories
across Europe, North America and Asia.

10

References
Brundtland, G.H. (Chairman). 1987. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Developments: Our Common Future. United Nations doc.
A/42/427, Chapter 2, Towards sustainable development.
Dahl, T.W., Clausen, A.U. and Hansen, P.B. 2009. The human impact on natural rock reserves using basalt, anorthosite, and carbonates as raw
materials in insulation products. International Geology Review, First article, 1-11.
DHI. 2008c. Zebra fish (Danio rerio) acute toxicity test with ROXUL 1000 fibres: Sample No. FI990571-00. DHI GLP Study No. 011-0740. Project No.
11800393.
Hjelmar, O. Results of column leaching tests performed on mineral wool products from Isover Saint Gobain and ROCKWOOL. DHI letter to EURIMA.
2002-07-18.
IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2002. IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. 81: Man-made
vitreous fibres. Lyon: IARC Press: World Health Organization.
IARC Press Release No.137. IARC Monographs Programme re evaluates carcinogenic risks from airborne man-made vitreous fibres.
Klamer, M., Morsing, E., Husemoen, T. 2004. Fungal growth on different insulation materials exposed to different moisture regimes. International
Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 54: 27782.
National Institute of Occupational Health, Denmark 2002. AMI Report 57. Air pollution when using alternative insulation materials.

Offices:

ROXUL-ROCKWOOL
INSULATION INDIA Pvt. Ltd.
Plot-Z/4, Dahej SEZ, Dahej
District Bharuch-392 130
Gujarat-India
T (+91) 2641 619400
F (+91) 2641 256292

ROXUL ROCKWOOL TECHNICAL

INSULATION INDIA Pvt. Ltd.
705, Center Point, J.B.Nagar
Andheri-Kurla Road
Andheri (East), Mumbai-400 059 India
T (+91) 22 6715 7700
F (+91) 22 6715 7710

Rockwool (Thailand) Limited

B.GRIMM Building 11th Floor
88 Krungthepkreetha Road
Huamark, Bangkapi
Bangkok 10240 Thailand
T (+66) 2731 751114
F (+66) 2731 7510

Rockwool Malaysia Sdn Bhd

Lot 4, Solok Waja 1
Bukit Raja Industrial Estate
41050 Klang, Selangor, Malaysia
T (+60) 3 3341 3444
F (+60) 3 3342 7290

Office No-238, Regus Business Center

2nd Floor, Prestige Omega
No. 104 EPIP Zone, Whitefield
Bangalore - 560066 Karnataka

Vietnam Representative Office

9th Floor, Maritime Bank Tower
180-192 Nguyen Cong Tru Street, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
T (+84) 8 6288 2009
F (+84) 8 6288 4691

175 A&B,
Kawasan Perindustrian Air Keroh
Jalan Lingkungan Usaha
75450 Melaka, Malaysia
T (+60) 6 233 2010
F (+60) 6 233 2012
Rockwool (Thailand) Limited
Hemaraj Eastern Industrial Estate
(Map Ta Phut) 1 Soi G 2
Pakornsongkrohraj Road
Huaypong, Muang, Rayong 21150, Thailand
T (+66) 3868 5110
F (+66) 3868 4938

240, Elegance Tower, 2nd Floor

Regus Business Center
Jasola Delhi - 110025
ROCKWOOL MALAYSIA SDN BHD
Indonesia Representative Office
Wisma Pondok Indah Tower 3
17th Floor, Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda V
Jakarta 12310, Indonesia
T (+62) 21 2965 9071
F (+62) 21 2953 8998

13th Floor, Hanoi Tower

49 Hai Ba Trung Street
Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi Vietnam
T (+84) 4 3934 3958
F (+84) 4 3934 3966

Rockwool Building Materials

(Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
No. 8, Tuas Avenue 2, Jurong Town
Singapore 639448
T (+65) 6861 4722
F (+65) 6862 3533
EXPORT OFFICE
3 International Business Park
Unit No. #02-24
Nordic European Centre
Singapore 609927
T (+65) 6933 7110
F (+65) 6933 7124 / 6933 7129

www.rockwoolasia.com

Disclaimer: The information contained in this brochure is believed to be correct at the date of publication and is subject to change after the date of printing.
Rockwool does not accept responsibility for the consequences of using any product in this brochure in any applications different from those described here.

Factories:

900 115 - 10/15_V1 (EN)

Rockwool IN Asia