Prof Gerhard Sextl from the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC and Dr.Klaus Noller from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV have been developing thin film panels to be used in insulation facades.
Vacuum insulation panels, VIPs for short, insulate ten times better than conventional insulation of the same thickness.
Traditional insulation facades available in the market take up a lot of space and involve high costs. They also have an outer cover that measures 20 cm in thickness. In order to resolve these issues, the scientists have come up with vaccum isolation panels (VIPs) which have panels measuring only 2 cm. The inner parts of the VIPs are made of pyrogenic silica and a high tech film enables the material to be air tight and stick together.
However, the scientists agree that the production methods adopted presently for VIPs are time consuming and involve high costs. Aluminium is required to coat at least three of the five layers of the plastic in order to hold them together. This procedure involves various steps, which in turn increases the prices. Currently VIPs are used only in high end freezers and refrigerators.
The new film developed for this purpose contains two plastic films and three barrier layers. One aluminium layer is covered with a layer of ORMOCER, which is an invention by ISC and this in turn is covered again with a layer of aluminium. The hybrid silicon-oxygen polymer matrix in ORMOCER makes the film air tight and stable, and the production of this kind of film involves lesser procedures and lesser costs. Tests are ongoing to make the production process simpler and to ensure that the panels last around 50 years for the building industry. Results of these tests are expected in the coming few months.