What are the choices of insulation materials for compact refrigerators

As an important insulation material in compact refrigerators, polyurethane (PU) is widely used in refrigerator manufacturing due to its excellent thermal insulation performance and low thermal conductivity. Polyurethane foam board can effectively isolate external heat from entering, ensure the stability of the temperature inside the refrigerator, and thus extend the shelf life of food. In addition, polyurethane materials also have excellent compressive strength and water resistance, and can withstand certain mechanical pressure and moisture erosion, which makes it an ideal insulation choice in compact refrigerators, especially in applications with high requirements for thermal insulation performance and durability. However, the fire resistance of polyurethane is relatively weak, usually only reaching the B2 fireproof standard, so in environments with strict fire protection requirements, additional fireproof treatment may be required.

In recent years, vacuum insulation panels (VIP) have gradually emerged in compact refrigerators and become a representative of high-performance insulation materials. Vacuum insulation panels effectively block heat conduction and convection through their internal vacuum layer, showing extremely high thermal insulation effect. Its thermal conductivity is much lower than that of traditional materials such as polyurethane, and it can more effectively maintain the low temperature state inside the refrigerator. In addition, vacuum insulation panels have a long service life and good environmental protection characteristics, and are suitable for high-end compact refrigerators or occasions with special needs. However, due to its complex production process and high cost, the application range of vacuum insulation panels is relatively limited.

Extruded polystyrene board (XPS) is also one of the widely used insulation materials in compact refrigerators. XPS board has high compressive strength and good moisture resistance, and can resist mechanical pressure and moisture erosion to a certain extent. Its thermal conductivity is moderate and can meet the insulation needs of general compact refrigerators. Although XPS board has excellent performance, its thermal insulation performance is slightly insufficient compared with polyurethane and vacuum insulation board, and it also has certain limitations in service life and environmental protection performance.

In addition to the above materials, other materials such as rock wool and phenolic board are also used in the insulation of compact refrigerators. Rock wool has high fire resistance and certain thermal insulation effect, but due to its high density, fragility and difficulty in processing, it is relatively less used in compact refrigerators. As a new type of high-performance thermal insulation material, phenolic board has excellent fire resistance and thermal insulation performance, and also performs well in processing performance and environmental protection characteristics. However, due to its high cost and complex production process, the application of phenolic board in compact refrigerators is also subject to certain restrictions.