Technology
How TI-SKIN® works
Aluminium and salt: a film that turns heat away and a mineral core that stores it. The patented system that does not resist the heat flow, it intercepts it.
Aluminium and salt: a film that turns heat away and a mineral core that stores it. The patented system that does not resist the heat flow, it intercepts it.
The air gap and the film reflect most of the radiant heat before it touches the insulation; the mineral core absorbs and stores what is left.
Outside and inside 15 °C. The box starts from the coldest point of the cycle; air, film and insulation prevent early heat gain.
Outside climbs from 15 to 45 °C in nine hours. Without TI-SKIN the interior reaches ~40 °C; with the full system it stops at ~22 °C.
Three hours at a constant 45 °C: the interior stays stable at ~22 °C despite the continuous radiation.
Outside returns to 15 °C. The box slowly releases the stored heat: ~19 °C in the morning, ready for a new cycle.
A patented aluminium-polymer film with high reflectivity and low emissivity: it sends back 97% of thermal radiation in the near infrared, with emissivity 0.03. The foils create closed reflective air spaces perpendicular to the flow, and the reflective layer within a closed air space adds a further layer of insulation: high-performance heat rejection, even before the core comes into play.
Macro-encapsulated hydrated inorganic salts fill the pockets of the blankets formed by the film. They melt at the chosen temperature (18, 23, 28 °C for comfort; −20, −23 °C for cold) and in that transition they absorb energy without rising in temperature; solidifying again they give it back and "recharge" for the next cycle. Incombustible, non-toxic, hydrophobic, with high latent energy.
They are hydrated salts, but without the two flaws of traditional salt-based phase-change materials: no supercooling (a 23 °C core solidifies again at 23 °C, without having to drop to 16-17 °C) and no salt precipitation over time, hence no loss of performance. The mixtures are protected as trade secrets.
The temperature measured on the roof at the afternoon peak. The reflective mat sends most of the radiation back.
The heat that passes is absorbed by the core, which behaves like a thermal battery: 4-6 hour time shift, peak levelled.
At night the core discharges at constant temperature, using the thermal inversion or a light ventilation. The next morning it starts again.
Heat always goes from hot to cold, faster the greater the temperature difference. Traditional insulation puts a resistance on the path, the R-value: fibreglass, cellulose, petroleum-derived foams. More resistance means more thickness.
TI-SKIN does something else: it intercepts the heat and reduces the difference between the incoming temperature and the desired indoor temperature, storing or releasing latent energy to change the physical state of the core. That is why it has no fixed R-value: during the transition, while the temperature stays constant, the resistance tends to infinity, and zero-flow conditions have been measured even with large temperature differences. It is the figure to keep in mind in calculations, and the reason why design goes through dynamic simulation.
| Existing insulation | Alone | With TI-SKIN |
|---|---|---|
| R2 insulation | 2 | 17 |
| R4 insulation | 4 | 35 |
| R6 insulation | 6 | 52 |
Attic test: roof 65 °C / 19 °C, accepted indoor 26 °C, 28 °C panel at 4 kg/m². Test results reflect realistic performance under test conditions; in real conditions performance follows the behaviour of the materials.
| Line | Models | Core works at | Latent energy | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TI-SKIN Comfort | 18 · 23 · 28 | 18 / 23 / 28 °C | 170 J/g | Homes, offices, hospitality, schools, healthcare, industrial buildings, roofs |
| TI-SKIN Cold | −20 · −23 | −20 / −23 °C | 250 J/g | Cold rooms and warehouses, transport, pharmaceuticals |
| TI-SKIN Heat coming soon | 48 | 48 °C | — | Process heat, hot water, dryers |
| TI-SKIN Marine | Marine | to specification | — | Cabins, hulls and partitions of ships and yachts: lightweight, marine certifications |
Standard format 60 × 122 cm, thickness 1.5 cm, 5 kg/m²; other weights for specific cases. thickness: Mauro 1.5 cm (standard 5 kg/m² version), Vasco 1.2 cm: to be confirmed between them
Bulk mixtures for special projects. For storage and custom applications we also supply the loose core, in the low-temperature mixtures only (7, −10, −20 and −23 °C), from 3.5-litre containers to 1,000-litre tanks, on advice of the technical office: many companies can use it in place of glycol. Types, minimum quantities and terms on request. mixture table, containers and quantities coming from Mauro
Very limited contribution to fire, absent or negligible smoke, no burning droplets: this is the EN 13501-1 classification obtained in the tests of Istituto Giordano. Ignition time 0.10 minutes, maximum spread 41 cm, flame-spread and smoke indices of 5. Thermal tests (conductivity, specific heat, reflectance and emissivity) by Certimac (ENEA-CNR). ACCREDIA-accredited laboratories.
Inorganic cores do not burn, unlike the paraffins of organic PCMs, and do not suffer the photochemical degradation of plastic materials exposed to the sun.
In the environmental screening carried out within the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label, on 200 m² over 25 years, TI-SKIN shows an environmental footprint about 50% lower than mineral wool, better in every phase of the life cycle. The panel is removed and reused, contains no petroleum derivatives and generates no special waste at end of life.
One square metre installed can avoid, under the conditions considered, about 25 kg of CO₂ a year: a benefit equivalent to the annual absorption of a mature tree. One hundred square metres, about 2,500 kg of CO₂ a year.
| Characteristic | Inorganic (TI-SKIN) | Paraffin (organic) |
|---|---|---|
| Combustibility | Incombustible | Flammable |
| UV resistance | High | Limited |
| Service life | > 50 years | Lower |
| Origin | Mineral, inorganic | Fossil or bio-based |
Intrinsic incombustibility makes TI-SKIN suitable even where fire regulations are strictest: high-rise buildings, public buildings, crowded places.
Static insulation slows the heat down and takes up space: 12 to 24 cm to reach the required values. TI-SKIN cuts the flow by more than 90% with the reflective part and stores the rest in the core: 1.5 cm, and an envelope that takes part in the thermal balance instead of merely separating inside from outside. It does not replace all the static insulation, which the regulations still require: it replaces most of it, and changes how the rest behaves.
Quicker break-even, then growing value. A passive panel adds no costs to the initial ones: no maintenance, no replacements, no energy to run. The average payback is 5-9 years depending on the application; after that, the savings are all value for the building.
The full series is on the Documents page. Price list and terms of supply on request.
Every building and every process has its own configuration. Tell us about yours: we reply with a first technical assessment, no strings attached.