Technology Commercialization Opportunity

Gas Filled Panels

Gas Filled Panels (GFPs) are a new, advanced approach to ambient-temperature thermal insulation applications. The panels are easy to make. A variant design is currently used in thermally insulating windows. The panels consist of infrared reflecting (low emissivity) multilayer baffles enveloped by a sealed barrier and filled with a low conductivity gas or air (at atmospheric pressure).

Insulating materials are typically described in terms of R-value per unit thickness. Higher R-value per unit thickness insulations are increasingly desirable as energy efficiency becomes more important and manufacturers and builders resist increases in insulation thickness. For comparison, R-values for traditional insulations are R-2.5 to R-3.7 per inch for fiberglass and R-4.0 to R-7.2 per inch for foams, with the higher value being for CFC blown foams--soon to be unavailable due to regulations. Berkeley National Laboratory's new insulating material is cost competitive and has an R-value greater than R-7.

Potential Commercial Uses

• Buildings--R-7.5 per inch building insulation to replace fiberglass batts; provides twice the performance per inch.
  
• Appliances--R-14 per inch appliance insulation to replace CFC- blown foam; modular panels used in composite with non-CFC foam to boost performance or decrease wall thickness.
  
• Transportation--High performance, lightweight GFPs offer strong potential for applications in medical supply shipping and automotive/transportation insulation industries.

Benefits of Technology

• Delivers higher performance per unit thickness--up to R-14 per inch (flexible krypton).
  
• Gas-barrier materials technology is well developed in food packaging industry.
  
• Manufacturing ease due to large base of existing equipment and related experience within packaging and product assembly industries.
  
• Meets stringent building energy codes with 2" x 4" stud construction.
  
• Reduces transportation and storage costs.
  
• Replaces CFC-dependent insulations

Options for Commercialization

E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is currently seeking industry partners for continuing research and development of Gas Filled Panels technology that will benefit E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the partners involved, and end users of any products produced.

Contact

Technology Transfer Department
E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
MS 90-1070
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 486-6467 FAX: (510) 486-6457

http://www.lbl.gov/Tech-Transfer/techs/lbnl801.html

Key Words:

Insulation, Gas Filled, Panels, Temperature Control