In the late 1930s, Elkem-Rockwool became a leading pioneer of the <<modern stone age>>.
At the time, it was understood that volcanic activity, under given special conditions, led to the formation of raw mineral wool. This discovery was applied by Elkem-Rockwool when these forces of nature were harnessed for controlled production at factory plants in Norway.
Rock wool products have, through the years, proved that insulation material extracted from diabase rock is imbued with other excellent and abiding qualities.
Mineral-wool eliminates the danger of decomposition, gas emission or deformation of the material. At the same time, the products have a firm composition and are easily workable.
Rockwool products are manufactured at three modern factories in Norway, sited in the towns af Larvik, Moss and Trondheim.
This volcanic rock melts at around 1500oC. the fibres produced by the process previously mentioned are about five microns in diameter. They are compounded by a phenolic resin binder and their surface is impregnated with a water-repellent film about 0.01 micron think. This prevents Rockwool products from absorbing moisture under normal atmospheric conditions.
