Conductivity is not the whole packout
A lower k-value helps, but the complete wall design, seams, lid fit, compression, and thermal bridges decide the actual hold time.
Cold chain insulation tool
Cold Chain Packaging Insulation Material Table
Compare common insulation materials by material family, thermal conductivity, planning thickness, thermal resistance, durability, moisture sensitivity, and typical cold-chain packaging use case before selecting a shipper structure.
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Material families used in parcel, tote, pallet, and process-side cold chain workflows.
Material families used in parcel, tote, pallet, and process-side cold chain workflows.
k + R
Thermal conductivity and quick R-value estimates from thickness.
Thermal conductivity and quick R-value estimates from thickness.
Fit
Shortlist by wall space, reuse, cost, moisture exposure, and route pressure.
Shortlist by wall space, reuse, cost, moisture exposure, and route pressure.
Cold Chain Packaging Insulation Material Table
Choose the packaging pressure to see practical starting options. Final structure still needs payload, coolant, ambient profile, drop test, and thermal qualification.
Suggested starting materials
Use these options as a starting shortlist, then validate the complete packout with the selected coolant and route profile.
Quick insulation selector
Lower thermal conductivity usually means better insulation per millimeter. Thickness, panel joints, compression, moisture, edge leakage, payload loading, and outer carton design can change real hold time.
| Compare | Material | Thermal conductivity | Planning thickness | R at typical thickness | Best-fit cold-chain use | Strengths | Watch points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Vacuum insulation panel (VIP)
Sealed evacuated panel with a protected core. Used when wall thickness is limited. AdvancedThin wall |
0.002-0.008 W/m*K
Use supplier aged / edge-adjusted value for final design.
|
10-30 mm, common planning point 20 mm. | Approx. 3.33 m²K/W at 20 mm and k 0.006. | High-performance pharma, biologics, compact payload boxes, premium pallet or parcel shippers. | Highest insulation per millimeter; helps protect payload space. | Puncture and edge thermal bridges can reduce performance. Needs protective structure and careful assembly. | |
|
Aerogel blanket
Flexible high-performance insulation used as a liner or local thermal bridge control layer. AdvancedFlexible |
0.013-0.020 W/m*K
Varies by blanket grade and compression.
|
5-20 mm, common planning point 10 mm. | Approx. 0.63 m²K/W at 10 mm and k 0.016. | Thin liners, difficult corners, thermal bridge reduction, premium reusable shippers. | High insulation in a flexible format; useful where rigid panels cannot fit. | Cost, dust control, compression, and covering layer need review. | |
|
Phenolic foam board
Rigid low-conductivity foam board with strong insulation per thickness. Rigid foamLow k |
0.018-0.024 W/m*K
Confirm board grade, facing, and service temperature.
|
20-60 mm, common planning point 40 mm. | Approx. 1.90 m²K/W at 40 mm and k 0.021. | High-performance rigid panel shippers, compact controlled-temperature packaging. | Good insulation per thickness and useful fire-performance direction. | Can be brittle; supply format and edge protection matter. | |
|
PUR / PIR rigid foam
Common rigid foam direction for insulated shippers and high-performance box liners. Rigid foamBalanced |
0.022-0.028 W/m*K
Use aged value when available.
|
25-80 mm, common planning point 50 mm. | Approx. 2.00 m²K/W at 50 mm and k 0.025. | Pharma parcel shippers, food logistics boxes, controlled-temperature pallet liners. | Strong balance of insulation, availability, and structural stiffness. | Foam ageing, panel joints, and outer shell sealing affect real performance. | |
|
XPS foam board
Rigid closed-cell polystyrene board often selected for moisture resistance and panel strength. Rigid foamMoisture |
0.029-0.035 W/m*K
Density and blowing-agent history can shift values.
|
25-80 mm, common planning point 50 mm. | Approx. 1.56 m²K/W at 50 mm and k 0.032. | Chilled or frozen boxes where moisture handling and panel rigidity matter. | Low water absorption direction and good panel handling. | Not as low-k as VIP or PUR/PIR; joints and seams still matter. | |
|
EPS molded box / panel
Widely used low-cost insulated packaging material for food, seafood, and parcel cold chain. Bead foamLow cost |
0.032-0.040 W/m*K
Higher density EPS can improve k-value and strength.
|
25-100 mm, common planning point 50 mm. | Approx. 1.39 m²K/W at 50 mm and k 0.036. | Low-cost chilled food, seafood, frozen parcels, short-to-medium duration shippers. | Low cost, light weight, broadly available molded shapes. | Crush resistance, breakage, disposal rules, and dimensional tolerances should be checked. | |
|
EPP molded foam box
Reusable molded bead foam with impact resistance for returnable cold-chain packaging. Bead foamReusable |
0.035-0.045 W/m*K
Depends on density and molded structure.
|
20-70 mm, common planning point 40 mm. | Approx. 1.00 m²K/W at 40 mm and k 0.040. | Reusable grocery, meal kit, pharma return loops, last-mile chilled logistics. | Durable, light, impact resistant, useful for repeated handling. | Thermal performance per millimeter is lower than high-performance rigid foams. | |
|
EPE / PE foam liner
Closed-cell flexible foam used as a cushion, pouch liner, separator, or short-lane insulating layer. Flexible foamCushion |
0.035-0.050 W/m*K
Foam density and laminated surfaces affect apparent performance.
|
5-30 mm, common planning point 15 mm. | Approx. 0.35 m²K/W at 15 mm and k 0.043. | Short delivery, cushioning, inner separators, pouch-style cold-chain packaging. | Flexible, protective, easy to convert and laminate. | Usually not enough as the only insulation for long hold-time lanes. | |
|
Mineral wool / glass wool panel
Fiber insulation more common in building or industrial enclosures than direct parcel shippers. FiberIndustrial |
0.030-0.045 W/m*K
Compression and moisture can change installed performance.
|
30-100 mm, common planning point 50 mm. | Approx. 1.32 m²K/W at 50 mm and k 0.038. | Industrial cold rooms, pallet enclosures, fire-sensitive support structures. | Fire-performance direction and broad insulation availability. | Fiber shedding, moisture, compression, and food/pharma contact controls matter. | |
|
Corrugated fiberboard / paper honeycomb
Structural or recyclable spacer layer. Useful with air gaps or liners, but not a high-performance insulator alone. PaperSpacer |
0.045-0.090 W/m*K
Direction, flute, air cells, and moisture affect apparent value.
|
3-25 mm, common planning point 10 mm. | Approx. 0.15 m²K/W at 10 mm and k 0.065. | Spacer, recyclable insert, carton structure, short ambient buffering with other insulation. | Recyclable direction, easy converting, useful as a structural layer. | Moisture sensitivity and low insulation per thickness. Avoid using as the only cold-chain barrier for demanding lanes. |
Material comparison
Tick up to three materials in the table. The comparison focuses on practical packaging decisions, not only numeric k-values.
No material selected yet.
Thickness protects time and payload space
Increasing thickness raises thermal resistance, but it reduces internal payload volume. VIP or aerogel can help when internal space is the limiting factor.
Reuse changes the material choice
EPP, rigid shells, and protected panels often make more sense for return loops. EPS or paper structures may fit low-cost one-way shipments.
Common insulation material table
Use this page to shortlist the insulation family and wall thickness, then continue with coolant selection, pack sizing, and route risk checks.