Roller shaft portion thermal insulation member for continuous annealing furnace and continuous annealing furnace

A roller shaft portion thermal insulation member for a continuous annealing furnace provided between a roller insertion hole and a roller bearing of the continuous annealing furnace, the roller shaft portion thermal insulation member comprising:

• at least one inorganic fiber blanket which is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of a roller or which is disposed near the outer circumferential surface of the roller, in which a percentage content of a shot of size 45 μm or greater is 3% or less;
• and
• a casing that is coupled to a furnace wall or a roller bearing support member and that includes a drum portion which surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the roller,
• wherein a remaining thickness of the at least one inorganic fiber blanket after cycle testing at 1000° C. is 70% or greater,
• the at least one inorganic fiber blanket is held along an inner circumferential surface of the drum portion of the casing,
• the at least one inorganic fiber blanket includes a plurality of inorganic fiber blankets, wherein
• each of the plurality of inorganic fiber blankets has a plate shape,
• the plurality of inorganic fiber blankets are arranged in a circumferential direction along the inner circumferential surface of the drum portion such that a plate surface of each of the plurality of inorganic fiber blankets is set in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the drum portion, and
• the casing includes a fastening mechanism that adjusts a distance between a roller shaft and the roller shaft portion thermal insulation member.