SOLIMIDE®, Thermal Insulation, and Shielding
Improve performance, efficiency, and safety by protecting surfaces and components from excessive heat loads.
Increase System Efficiency
Prevent intermixing of hot and cold regions to maintain optimal fluid line or device temperatures.
Highly Customizable
Meet your specific application needs with multiple formulations and broad array of processing techniques.
Enhance User Safety
Shield users from extreme operating temperatures from engines or insulate against environmental conditions.
Increase Product Lifespan
Protect sensitive components against extreme temperatures that can reduce performance or cause severe damage.
SOLIMIDE® Foam Exposed to Flame
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SOLIMIDE® Foam vs. Other Open Cell Foam: Fire Resistance Test
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Protect Users and Components from Excessive Heat Exposure
Thermal insulation and heat shielding are essential materials to manage heat in complex systems. Boyd’s material science expertise paired with our precision converting capabilities make us an ideal partner for enhanced user comfort and extended product lifetimes.
Have a Question?
How Does Thermal Insulation Work?
Thermal insulation works by protecting a surface with a material that resists heat transfer. The effectiveness of insulation is measured by its thermal resistance, commonly known as R-value. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation’s ability to resist heat flow.
How Does Heat Shielding Work?
Heat shielding acts as a protective barrier that directs heat away from a protected area. Heat shields can reflect radiative heat or prevent hot air flow. In addition to reflective coatings or layers, heat shields may also exhibit high thermal resistance and act as a thermal insulator.
Why Use Thermal Insulation or Heat Shielding?
Thermal insulation and heat shielding protects systems and users from excess heat exposure. Insulation and shielding boosts consumer safety by controlling touch temperature and maintaining comfortable user environments. Thermal protection also extends the lifetime and reliability of heat-sensitive components.
Why Use Boyd’s Thermal Insulation and Heat Shielding Solutions?
Heat shields and thermal insulation solutions present many options for consideration like optimal material selection, unique geometry design, and assembly to help manage excess waste heat. Boyd’s Engineered Material experts collaborate with you to identify critical performance needs to recommend the best raw materials that will exceed both environmental and use exposures.
Streamline Your Assembly Line with Boyd Thermal Insulation Solutions
Boyd’s thermal insulation and heat shield solutions are efficiently produced using industry-leading precision converting capabilities to create fully integrated solutions customized for your application. We combine the performance benefits of multiple materials into one easy-to-install deliverable.
High Performance, Open-Cell Polyimide Foam
Complementary to our precision converting processes to make optimal thermal shields and insulators, Boyd also manufactures SOLIMIDE® Foams, a high performance, open-cell polyimide foam ideal for thermal and acoustic insulation. Our SOLIMIDE® Foams product family is lightweight, durable, non-toxic, exceeds FAR25.856 fire resistance requirements and has superior thermal and acoustic insulation properties. SOLIMIDE® Foams are found in aircraft, spacecraft, railcars, marine vessels and other application in one of seven variations to insulate in different temperature and environmental requirements.
Enhanced Fire Protection
Will not burn and emits very little smoke when exposed to flame.
Maintains Flexibility and Resiliency
At cryogenic temperatures and higher temperatures, formulations can withstand continuous use up to 300°C.
SOLIMIDE® Weight Savings
Lightweight characteristics of SOLIMIDE® Foams create significant weight savings compared to products with similar thermal, acoustic, and insulation performance. However, SOLIMIDE® excels when you consider weight, insulative properties, fire resistance, non-toxicity, and our extreme operating temperature range.
SOLIMIDE® Foams lightweighting and safety benefits create a higher performing thermal and acoustic insulator compared to alternative materials: same or better insulation performance in a lower profile, lighter weight, self-supporting structure.
Exceptional Acoustic Performance
Boyd’s SOLIMIDE® Foams have a high noise reduction of coefficients that provide passengers with greater acoustic comfort and less ambient noise perpetuation for densely populated areas. SOLIMIDE® Foams are optimized for high performance applications with demanding safety and durability requirements like naval ships, commercial aircraft, spacecraft, and heavy-duty transportation.
Designed for Enhanced Fire Protection
Boyd’s SOLIMIDE® Foams are designed for enhanced fire protection and possess a wide range of ideal safety characteristics. SOLIMIDE® Foam exceeds FAR 25.856 fire resistance specifications, will not burn and emits very little smoke when exposed to flame. SOLIMIDE® Foams are flexible and stable at cryogenic temperatures and higher temperature formulations can withstand continuous use up to 300°C, ideal for applications like 3D/additive manufacturing insulation.
Low Off-Gassing, Non-Toxic
Sensitive systems like semiconductor manufacturing and test equipment and consumer environments benefit from the low off-gassing and formaldehyde-free composition of SOLIMIDE® Foams. These insulating foams are non-toxic, possess high hydrolytic stability, and do not support microbial growth, making SOLIMIDE® Foams a durable, long-term option for the harshest environments.
Integrate SOLIMIDE® Foams with Other Technologies
Boyd not only produces SOLIMIDE® Foams, but we leverage our expertise in material science, design, and precision converting to create effective laminated, cut-to-shape solutions, designed to your specification, ready for installation. Our integration technologies allow us to combine SOLIMIDE® Foams with other engineered materials to make a multi-functional comprehensive solution to your insulation, acoustic, heat shielding, and safety requirements. SOLIMIDE® Foam is regularly combined with additional specialty materials to enhance its inherent performance strengths. It’s also heat and pressure formable, which enables mold and compress the best SOLIMIDE® Foam formulation to create highly customized, high performance insulating components tailored to your system.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership with SOLIMIDE® Foams
With its lightweight, thermal, and acoustic, and safety characteristics, SOLIMIDE® foam solutions mean lower total cost of ownership, enhanced customer safety, and easier installation and maintenance. Customers like aircraft OEMs, passenger and cargo airline organizations, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul service providers benefit from the excellent performance of SOLIMIDE® foams.
SOLIMIDE® Foam Product Details
Polyimide Foam Properties
- Lightweight
- Non-Wicking
- Open-Cell
- Fire Resistance Exceeding FAR 25.856 specifications
- Minimal Smoke Generation
- Heat and Pressure Formable
- Flexible and Stable at Cryogenic Temperatures
- Hydrolytic Stability
- Non-Toxic
- Low Off-Gassing
- Formaldehyde Free
- Does Not Support Microbial Growth
- Self-Supporting
SOLIMIDE® Foam Options
| Foam Number | Description | Typical Density kg/m3 (lb/ft3)* | Max Cont. Use Temp °C (°F) | Noise Reduction Coefficient | Thermal Conductivity W/mK ((BTU·in)/(hr·ft2·°F)) | Typical Applications | Datasheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC-530 | The gold standard in high performance aircraft insulation. Least dense option. Long term stability under humid conditions and after temperature cycling. | 5.4 (0.34) | 200 (400) | 0.7 | ≤ 0.050 (0.35) | Aircraft, Aerospace, Industrial: Fuselage, under floor, ECS ducts and equipment, cryogenic expansion and contraction joints in civil, commercial, & defense aircraft & spacecraft. | AC-530 Datasheet |
| AC-550 | Better noise reduction capabilities with long term stability under humid conditions and after temperature cycling. | 7.0 (0.44) | 200 (400) | 0.75 | ≤ 0.048 (0.33) | Aircraft, Aerospace: Fuselage, under floor, ECS ducts and equipment in civil, commercial & defense aircraft & spacecraft. | AC-550 Datasheet |
| AC-550H | Best thermal insulation of non-densified foams. Has long term stability under humid conditions and after temperature cycling. | 8.0 (0.50) | 200 (400) | N/A | ≤ 0.043 (0.30) | Aircraft and Aerospace: Sidewalls, ECS systems, cushioning, thermal protection and vibration damping in defense tanks, missiles, & torpedoes. | AC-550H Datasheet |
| TA-301 | Most commonly used formulation of SOLIMIDE foams, especially for naval ships and commercial marine vessels due to its extreme light weight, excellent thermal properties, and outstanding acoustical absorption. Ideal insulation for expansion and contraction joints in cryogenic applications. | 6.4 (0.40) | 200 (400) | 0.7 | ≤ 0.046 (0.32) | Naval Ships, Industrial, Transportation: Bulkhead/Overhead, Duct and Pipe covering insulation in naval surface combatants and submarines. Insulation for HVAC of rail cars, general industrial use and in expansion and contraction joints (LNG). | TA-301 Datasheet |
| HT-340 | Higher temperature resistance and long term stability under humid conditions and temperature cycling. | 6.4 (0.40) | 300 (575) | 0.7 | ≤ 0.046 (0.32) | Aerospace, Industrial, Semiconductor, Power, Transportation: High temperature ducting and insulation in solar, rail, LNG pipelines and semi-conductor manufacturing equipment. Heater sleeve insulation in industrial and semiconductor testing and fabrication. | HT-340 Datasheet |
| CC-306 | Higher noise reduction qualities. | 8.0 (0.50) | 200 (400) | 0.75 | ≤ 0.043 (0.30) | Marine: Hull insulation & noise control in submarines, naval vessels. | CC-306 Datasheet |
| Densified SOLIMIDE®** | Densified foam to meet user specification & thickness. Used for vibration damping with enhanced thermal management for small spaces. | 32.0 (2.0) | 300 (575) | N/A | ≤ 0.032 (0.22) | Aviation, Automotive, Consumer/Mobile Electronics, eMobility, Medical: Handheld device touch temperature management, avionics and in-flight entertainment systems (IFE), infotainment and navigation systems, user interfaces & screens, industrial small tubing systems, and automotive engine areas. | Densified SOLIMIDE® Datasheet |
Resist Radiant Heat
Heat Shields are ideal for resisting radiant heat from transferring from hot components to sensitive surfaces, devices, and systems. These light, low profile, and flexible solutions are ideal for lightweighting in minimal to zero clearance areas. Heat shields can benefit from additional heat spreading and mechanical strength with the addition of reinforcement materials like woven fiberglass. With a wide range of available materials, heat shields have multiple options for specific properties, geometry, and assembly. Heat shielding can address a wide range of application and environmental requirements like:
Reduce Operation & Maintenance Costs
Extend component lifetimes for reduced replacement costs and minimize warranty claims.
Robust Construction
Incombustible, Fire Resistant, and Tear/Puncture Resistant options ensure consumer safety in emergencies.
Heat Shield Product Details
Surface Materials
- Propylene film facing
- Non-woven polyester fabric
- Vacuum metalized polyester film
Reinforcement Materials
- Woven fiberglass scrim
- Flourocarbon-impregnated fiberglass fabric
- High temperature silicone-impregnated fiberglass fabric
Integrated Adhesive Options
- Thermosetting adhesive bonding polyester film
- Fire retardant and incombustible options
- Note: Multi-ply heat shields are bonded together with high temperature adhesives
Have questions? We’re ready to help!