Glass fiber, mineral wool and ceramic fiber are all thermal insulation materials. They have the advantages of lightweight, lower thermal conductivity, anti-corrosion, sealing and sound insulation. Although they have many common characteristics, they still have some differences. Here's a comparison of these three commonly used materials.

First, let us make a comparison between glass fiber and mineral wool. Glass fiber is white color material and its temperature is a little lower than mineral wool. It can be made into various kinds of fiberglass products such as fiberglass cloth, fiberglass tapes, fiberglass ropes and so on. Fiberglass products are not only can be used as thermal insulation materials, but also can be used in other fields. Glass fiber products have excellent corrosion resistance and can resist strong acid and alkali and many chemicals. Fiberglass has electric insulation property and can be used as electric insulation materials. Mineral wool is a common thermal insulation material which can resist relatively higher temperature than glass fiber. The fibrous structure of mineral wool is looser, creating more air pores, which provides better insulation. Mineral wool can be made into mineral wool blanket, mineral wool board and mineral wool pipe. They are mainly used in the construction field as the building insulation material. They are an excellent fireproof building material which can keep houses away from a fire. They also can keep houses warm in winter and cool in summer to make people living in comfortable condition. Glass fiber is also a building material, for example, glass fiber mesh is a typical building material.

Ceramic fiber is another common material used for heat insulation and has excellent high temperature resistant property. Its temperature is much higher than glass fiber and mineral wool. The continuous working temperature of ceramic fiber can reach up to 1000 ℃ to 1350 ℃. Ceramic fiber can be used as fibrous refractory material for industrial furnace lining. Glass fiber has much lower heat insulation compared to ceramic fiber, but its strength is higher than ceramic fiber. Glass fiber has much longer fiber than ceramic fiber. Glass fiber is generally softer and easier to process, making it more suitable in some applications that require flexibility and plasticity. Like glass fiber, ceramic fiber also can be made into ceramic fiber cloth, tapes and ropes, but its fibers are short, therefore they need to add some additives during the procession of textiles. Ceramic fiber textiles also need stainless steel wire or glass fiber to strengthen them.

Although glass fiber has lower temperature than mineral wool and ceramic fiber, it has more uses than them. Glass fiber can be made into fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP). Fiberglass woven roving and fiberglass mat can be well compatible with chemical resins to fabricate FRP products such as FRP machine parts, cars, ships, doors, seats and so on. Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) has very high strength, so it can replace metals to save natural resources. FRP products are widely used in construction, automobile, petrochemical, electrical insulation industry, sports and leisure and wind energy. Therefore, glass fiber is a versatile material.

It should be emphasized that the specific comparison of glass fiber, mineral wool and ceramic fiber also depends on the type of material, density, thickness, environment and requirements of the application. When choosing materials, it is necessary to consider various factors and make choices according to the specific application needs.