Experimental Verification of the Theoretical Aging of Vacuum Insulated Panels

Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) encompass a higher thermal resistance per unit of thickness compared to any other kind of insulation. However, their aging has often shown some critical concerns among stakeholders. To support the broader use of VIPs in the building sector, a comprehensive analysis of the physical properties of VIPs and in particular of their thermal conductivity over longperiods is required. This research investigates the effect of the temperature and relative humidity on the service life and thermal conductivity of VIPs. The scope of this study is to validate existing aging models for VIPs. First, the experimental results of the thermal conductivity for five VIPs both in pristine and in laboratory-accelerated conditions are described. Then, an analytical aging method is employed to validate the collected data. Results show that the aging has a more significant impact on the performance of VIPs with a core of fiberglass-core than with VIPs with a core of fumed silica.