Mar 2, 2022, China – United Insulation, a leading international insulation materials company, officially announced that its entire range of glass wool products (rolls, boards, and pipe shells) has passed the R-Value (thermal resistance value) precision certification test conducted by SGS, the world's most authoritative third-party testing organization. The test reports comply with ASTM C518, EN 12667, and ISO 8301 international standards, with an error of less than 1%, and are officially included in the SGS global certificate database.

What is SGS R-Value certification? To which organization does it belong?

SGS is an inspection, verification, testing, and certification company with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, founded in 1878; it has expanded to own over 2,600 branches in 145 countries around the world.

SGS R-Value test reports are directly recognized in nearly all developed markets: North America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. They are at the same level as conclusions issued by national-level laboratories and are considered the most credible thermal performance certification documents within global trade related to thermal insulation materials.

What precisely does SGS R-Value testing measure, and why is it so rigorous?

R-Value is the thermal resistance value, measured in m²·K/W or ft²·°F·h/Btu, which is a "core indicator" to measure the real thermal insulation capacity of the insulation material, reflecting actual engineering performance far more accurately than testing thermal conductivity alone. SGS uses the most stringent steady-state heat flow metering method for testing: "According to ASTM C518:

A constant-temperature and humidity lab environment (23±1℃, 50±2%RH)

Double-layer heat-resistant panel method to eliminate edge heat loss.

Multiple repeated measurements with an error ≤1%

The true R-value is declared after thickness correction.

Only glass wool that is certified by SGS R-Value is allowed to legally label North American standard thermal resistance ratings such as "R-13, R-19, R-30," or the corresponding m²·K/W value in the overseas market.

Why is the SGS R-Value report a "life-or-death document" in the global market?

North America: US and Canadian building codes, the IBC and NBC respectively, require that all insulation materials produce an R-Value report from an accredited laboratory or fail energy efficiency calculations and building inspections.

Australia: The NCC national building code requires that all glass wool be accompanied by a third-party R-Value report conforming to AS/NZS 4859.1; SGS reports are directly acceptable.

Middle East: City halls in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar require all imported glass wool to provide an SGS or Intertek R-Value report for customs clearance.

Europe and Southeast Asia: While λ is commonly adopted, more green building projects come on board, such as LEED, Estidama, Green Mark, which require an SGS R-Value report as supplementary proof.

Starting in 2025, at least 70% of tender documents for global glass wool imports will contain, "Must provide an SGS/Intertek R-Value test report." Without this report, it essentially disqualifies them.

How strong is measured R-Value performance for United Insulation glass wool?

The SGS test reports below indicate that United Insulation glass wool leads the industry in actual thermal resistance values in various thicknesses:

50mm thickness: R = 1.19–1.56 m²·K/W (equivalent to North American R-13–R-15)

100mm thickness: R = 2.38–3.12 m²·K/W (equivalent to North American R-26–R-30)

Measured thermal conductivity as low as 0.032–0.042 W/(m·K); R-value error <0.5% after thickness correction.

The test also confirmed LTTR. After aging for 50 years, the decaying rate of its R-value is less than 2%, much better than the 5–8% according to the industrial average.

A Commitment to Global Clients

"The SGS R-Value report is not a numbers game; it's a hard commitment to our clients' building energy efficiency," said the Technical Director of United Insulation. "Choosing United Insulation glass wool means every roll you get can stand up to even the most demanding engineers and the most stringent government inspection."

Glass wool with SGS R-Value reports is presently exported in bulk to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other countries and regions, enjoying unimpeded access to the highest standards of residential, commercial, and industrial projects.

About United Insulation

United Insulation is one of the few glass wool and rock wool exporting companies in China to have a full set of top-tier international certifications concurrently: CE, KS, FM, USGBC, SIRIM, SGS R-Value, and ISO three-system certifications.

Website: www.unitedinsulation.com

Technical Report Download Email: info@unitedinsulation.cn