There are many types of insulation used throughout the world in many different applications. The types of insulation materials used include foams (polystyrene, polyurethane, polyisocyanurate and polyethylene), fibers (glass, mineral wool, cellulose, silica), and powders.
Summary
These materials are used in many different configurations. Among those being semi-rigid to rigid boards, blocks, blown-in materials, and vacuum panels. Vacuum panels are, by far, the best insulator of this group with measured values as high as 10X the other materials.
Insulation is used to reduce energy flow in a number of different applications. Primary uses include construction, appliances, and transportation of goods. The performance of insulation is measured commonly by two factors, R-value and thermal conductivity. R-value is commonly used when discussing insulation used in building and construction. In the case of R value, the higher the number the better the insulator. Thermal conductivity value is more frequently used when discussing transportation of goods and scientific applications, particularly in pharma and life-science products. Thermal conductivity is the rate at which heat is transferred through a material. The lower the thermal conductivity value, the better the insulator. In this discussion I’d like to address the use of vacuum insulation panels in the transport of pharma and life-science products.
There are four main factors that the determine the performance of VIP with regards to its effectiveness as an insulator, the barrier film, the core material, desiccants/getters, and the vacuum level.
