1892
Dewar flask
Vacuum as insulation, cylindrical.
Vacuum insulated panel did not arrive as a finished commodity. Dewar 1892 idea; building VIPs 1990s– around Scotland / Germany / Japan still explains who makes it and which tests it sits in.
Ten dated points, five eras and three milestones below are the spine — not a complete industrial history.
Where it began
Dewar 1892 idea; building VIPs 1990s–Scotland / Germany / Japan
Timeline
1892Dewar flask
Vacuum as insulation, cylindrical.
1930sThermos brand
Consumer vacuum bottles.
1950sCryogenic MLI
Multilayer insulation in space and LNG.
1990sJapanese fridge VIPs
Thin walls, more litres.
1999+va-Q-tec / Porextherm
European building panels.
2000sFumed-silica cores
Better ageing than glass-fibre cores in some claims.
2010sEN 17140 talk
Product standards catch up.
2010sHistoric retrofit
Internal wall insulation where thickness is illegal.
2020sEdge thermal bridges
Declared λ vs installed U-value honesty.
2020sEV battery VIP
Pack-level thermal.
The eras
1950s
Cryogenic MLI
Multilayer insulation in space and LNG.
1999+
va-Q-tec / Porextherm
European building panels.
2010s
EN 17140 talk
Product standards catch up.
2020s
Edge thermal bridges
Declared λ vs installed U-value honesty.
Milestones
Japanese fridge VIPs
1990sThin walls, more litres.
EN 17140 talk
2010sProduct standards catch up.
EV battery VIP
2020sPack-level thermal.
Knowing this timeline is how to read a mill certificate without treating Vacuum insulated panel as timeless.
Keep exploring
More in Thermal
🪨
Mineral wool
Melted rock or glass spun into A1 batts — the default non-combustible insulation of codes.
Overall 69 🧽Polyurethane foam
The low-λ organic foam of fridges and buildings — excellent insulation, a fire design problem unless PIR and coverings are honest.
Overall 46 🕯️Phase-change material
Latent-heat packets that flatten temperature swings — not a substitute for λ insulation, a complement.
Overall 36