5 Facts On Brick As An Insulator(Why And Uses)

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Bricks are basically dried clay made rectangular blocks used as building materials. Let us focus on facts related to bricks being insulators.

Bricks can act as insulators due to their very low values of thermal conductivity. The very low thermal conductivity of a material signifies that it does not have the capability to conduct heat through it easily. Hence bricks keep houses cool during the summer season and warm during the winter season.

Certain types of bricks like clay bricks do have very good insulation capacity as they are made of clay. Let us have a look at why bricks are considered as good electric insulators, whether brick is a good thermal insulator or not,what are its uses as an insulator and many more queries like these.

Why is brick a good electric insulator?

A good electric insulator is a material that is used to have a very low value of electrical conductivity. Let us focus on the reason why brick is good as an insulator.

Brick is a good electric insulator due to the lack of free electrons in its atomic structure. The delocalized e⁻s in the structure of a material play a major role in conducting electricity through a material and their absence makes a material unable to conduct electricity and therefore behaves like an insulator.

Other than the reason stated above bricks do have very low values of electrical conductivity which make them good electric insulators.

Is brick a good heat insulator?

Good heat insulators are those materials that are used to have very low values of electrical conductivity. Let us know whether the brick is a good heat insulator or not.

Bricks are good as thermal insulators. This is because bricks are used to have low values of thermal conductivity which resist them to pass heat energy through them easily. Due to this incapability of passing heat energy through them, bricks are used to behave like good heat insulators.

In spite of having very low values of thermal conductivity bricks can never be considered as very good and reliable thermal insulators as they are porous in nature.

brick
Image Credit : Bricks from by ArnoldReinhold (CC BY SA-3.0)

Uses of brick as an insulator

A brick does have several uses as an insulator due to their durability,light-weight,energy efficiency and fire prevention. Its uses are:

  • Bricks can be used due to their insulating properties in gas burners,chimneys,electric systems,small wooden stoves and in external insulation.
  • Bricks have a tolerance capacity to bear temperatures up to 1760 degree celsius and this is why they are more comfortably used for under-water bricks,lining and outer walls.
  • Bricks do have extensive uses in boilers.
  • Bricks are used in production that requires mechanical,chemical and thermal processes.
  • To protect the shielding surfaces of electric plants from extensive heat, bricks are used to a larger extent due to their insulating properties.

Is brick a better insulator than ceramic?

Ceramic is a corrosion resistant and heat resistant material made of non metallic materials like clay. Let us focus on whether brick is a better insulator than ceramic or not.

Brick is not a better insulator than ceramic. Due to the porous nature bricks are unable to hold heat energy and it escapes out whereas ceramic has a better holding capacity of heat than bricks and they can withstand high temperatures upto 1316 degree C or 2400 degree F.

Besides the above mentioned fact, ceramic is abrasion resistant naturally,it has long life and it is capable of retaining its shape and size even under extreme pressure. All these qualities of ceramic make it a better insulator than bricks.

When does brick conduct electricity?

The materials which conduct electricity are used to have just opposite properties in comparison to the insulators. Let us know what are the conditions of bricks conducting electricity.

  • Bricks usually possess a porous structure which gives them a large surface area and this makes bricks able to conduct electricity.
  • The reason behind the red colour of the bricks is the reaction between iron oxide and acid vapour which is kept in the pores of the bricks. In this reaction iron is formed which is reactive in nature and a further passing of sulphur-based gas through it makes it(PEDOT) able to conduct electricity.
  • A PEDOT brick becomes able to conduct electricity even in an underwater condition if it is coated by epoxy resin.

Conclusion

In this article 5 facts related to the performance of a brick as an insulator has been described in a brief manner. Concepts like why is brick a good electric insulator,why is it a good thermal insulator,uses of bricks as insulators,conditions when it conducts electricity all these have been answered in simple words.

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