Vacuum insulation Panels (VIPs) are a highly efficient advanced thermal insulation technology 3-7 times more effective than conventional plastic foams or fibrous insulation. VIPS are used to enhance the performance of appliances such as refrigerators or vending machines; to form insulation containers or boxes for transportation; and for all types of building insulation. In comparison with alternative insulation methods, VIPs are more compact (being much thinner), and insulate much better, ensuring savings in both space and energy.

Hanita now offers a series of metallized PET laminates combining Aluminium Foil, suitable for extremely demanding VIP conditions and applications

Our VIP films can ensure the extended longevity of the vacuum panel, engendering VIPs suitable for the building and construction industry, as well as the shorter-term cold shipping or refrigeration/heater market.

Hanita pioneered the development of ultra high barrier laminates for the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) market based on lamination of vacuum metallized PET films. The unique in-vacuum metallization processes developed by Hanita in recent years have enabled us to produce perfect metallic barrier layers that allow gas permeation well below any similar product on the market, especially to prevent moisture permeation. Recent accelerated ageing tests showed that VIPs with Hanita laminates and fumed silica cores can keep their insulation performance inside refrigerator walls for well over 100 years (!), and for more than 40 years when used as building insulation in a standard north European climate.

Hanita’s new line of Aluminium Foil Laminates is targeted to applications that cannot afford the slightest gas permeation, such as in elevated temperatures, for extended long-term construction applications, or if using core materials vulnerable to permeation.

Hanita’s VIP laminate films

Hanita’s VIP laminate range includes the following film types:

• Short to mid term longevity - single laminate construction of metallized Polyester.
• Mid to long term longevity - bi-laminate construction of metallized Polyester, also available with protective PP layer for enhanced durability.
• Long to very long term longevity - tri-laminate construction of metallized Polyester, also available with protective PP layer for enhanced durability
• Extreme conditions – Aluminium foil combined with metallized PET bilaminate, with protective PP or Nylon layer for enhanced durability.

Benefits of Hanita Coatings’ metallized polyester VIP

• Ultra high barrier - typical MVTR for trilaminates around
  0.01g/m²day (38 °C, 100% RH). Excellent for long and very long term applications.
• Stress resistance - very robust lamination structure.
• Improved PE heat seal - very low permeation of gases from flanges and improved heat seal strength.
• Enhanced metal adhesion - prevents de-metallization breakdown of the laminate.
• Corrosion resistance - superior resistance levels against oxidation and moisture corrosion.
• Cost effectiveness - high performance at very competitive prices.
• No "edge effect" – In contradiction to laminates containing aluminum foils, Hanita’s laminates have absolutely negligible thermal bridge effect.

Benefits of Hanita Coatings’ Aluminum foil based VIP films

• No permeation of gasses through the skin, and negligible permeation through heat-seal layers. This ensures the highest level of barrier available on the market.
• Barrier unaffected by elevated temperatures and high humidity, therefore ideal for harsh environment applications

Hanita’s VIP laminates compared with other metallized laminates

Comparative testing between Hanita and competitor laminates shows Hanita’s moisture permeation barrier is 3-10 times better than competitive metallized laminates; shows far greater resistance to corrosion, especially at elevated temperatures and high humidity levels; and superior mechanical properties such as lamination strength or metal adhesion. Combine with this Hanita’s remarkable consistency of production and quality, and it’s clear that Hanita Coatings’ VIP laminates are the market leaders, and the market’s choice.

How do VIPs work?

In all standard insulation materials, a large percentage of their volume consists of cavities full with air surrounded by thin walls of plastic or fibers. These thin walls are very poor thermal conductors, therefore most of the heat flow through standard insulations results from air molecules trapped inside the cavities. Vacuum insulation panels are constructed from a rigid and porous core material that is encapsulated in a barrier film envelope, evacuated, and then sealed. The evacuation process makes the number of air molecules inside the VIPs 100,000 to 1,000,000 times smaller. This is why vacuum insulation panels are such excellent thermal insulators.

In addition, all core materials of vacuum panels contain extremely small pores that trap inside them the remaining gas molecules, and further reduce the heat flow process through the panel. All core materials, silica powder (fumed or precipitated), fiberglass, and open cell rigid polymeric foams (polyurethane, polystyrene), also contain opecifying agents that eliminate heat conductance by thermal radiation (Infra Red).

Often getters or desiccants are inserted to absorb gases and moisture that slowly permeate through the envelope and degrade the vacuum. The lower the pressure inside the panel, the better its insulation performance. Therefore it is extremely important to keep the permeation rate of atmospheric gases into the VIPs as low as possible. The lifetime and performance of the VIP depend on the quality of the barrier properties of the laminate that is used for the envelope.