The production of glass wool begins with the melting at 1400 ° C of recycled glass compound (80%), silica, limestone, sodium carbonate and boron. After passing through the oven, the mix is centrifuged, mixed with resins and placed in a polymerization oven to allow the resins to harden.
The production of rock wool begins with the melting at 1500 ° C of basalt rock, limestone, coke and "briquette" (which derives from the mix of recycled rock wool with a cement paste). The molten slurry is transformed into fibers and sprinkled with resin and oil and then placed in a curing oven where the binder hardens.
In both cases, after passing through the polymerization oven, the wool, both glass and rock, can be cut and packaged and sent to the construction sites where the operators will take care of the installation.
Great attention is paid to those who work in factories where glass and rock wool are produced and those who deal with the implementation of these materials or anyone who has to handle mineral wools complying with "Note Q" or "Note R" (classified as " non-hazardous "), must comply with the basic rules of prudence indicated by the guidelines according to which the operator must wear protective gloves and goggles and suitable clothing, as well as a protective mask against possible inhalation of particulates.
The disposal of mineral wool
For the disposal phase of mineral wool, the Ministry's Guidelines certify that such waste, if classified as bio-soluble, does not fall within the category of hazardous waste but will be treated as "special non-hazardous waste" - sometimes even manageable in an eco-sustainable manner - which must be deposited in a special landfill in cells similar to that for inert waste.
As prescribed by the Guidelines of the Ministry of Health, on the occasion of any renovation or demolition work of part of buildings, to be sure that the mineral wools found as insulating glass wool are not toxic and dangerous, it is necessary to know their chemical composition (content of alkaline and alkaline earth oxides and fiber diameter).
In these cases the designer or the company must be able to ascertain the existence of dangerousness of the materials present in a construction site, therefore, in different regions of Italy, it is the practice that one can contact public laboratories and Regional Agencies for the Protection of 'Environment to have useful and reliable feedback.
Source: Architetturaecosostenibile.it
