| Insulated packaging is an important area of study in packaging. A large number of temperature sensitive perishable products (meat, seafood, flowers, pharmaceuticals, etc) are shipped in the single parcel shipping environment of carriers such as Fedex, USPS, and UPS. The purpose of this research was to investigate the insulation effectiveness of various commercially available and newly developed insulated packages. The packages studied included single wall corrugated containers, Box-in-Box packaging systems with an air gap, Thermal-CorRTM boxes, and corrugated containers with (expanded poly styrene) EPS foam panels. Ice-melt tests were conducted both at room temperature (74°F) and at 104°F. The air temperature variation with respect to time inside the package was also measured at room temperature (74°F) and at 104°F by placing dry ice and gel ice inside the package. Temperature measurement recorders were used to record the temperature change inside the package over time. The packages were also subjected to pre-shipment tests in accordance with the International safe Transit Association, Test Procedure 1A. Based on the results of this study, the melt rates of the box-in-box packages were found to be less compared to those of single packages. Also the time-temperature analysis inside the package showed that the foil laminated Thermal-Cor RTM boxes were found to slow the heat transfer process as compared with the other packaging systems tested like corrugated boxes with EPS foam panels. |
