Choosing the Right Insulated Shipping Material

It’s officially summer and we’ve just had our first 100 degree day of the year here in Waynesboro, Virginia. Let’s take a look at something cold to take our minds off the heat. One of the coolest things we do here at Hutchins & Hutchins, Inc. is to help our customers with the logistics of insulated shipping. When it comes to maintaining a cleanroom environment we know how to make sure that your room is clean and up to industry standards, but what about when you need to move something outside of the cleanroom, such as transporting organs to a hospital? 

Immediately following removal from the donor, the organ is flushed with an ice cold preservative solution that begins the conservation process. The organ is then placed into a container filled with sterile ice and additional preservative solution. This first container is placed into a larger container with additional cooling, either more ice or a chemical refrigerant, and then into additional container/coolant combination as needed to maintain the temperature for the entire trip. The goal isn’t to freeze the organ, which would cause cellular damage, but to keep it near freezing to prevent biological deterioration from occurring. 

The two important parts of the packing process are the container and the cooling element. The container holding the delicate organ is the most important aspect. With insulated shipping there’s typically only one decision: Polyurethane or EPS(Expanded Styrene). Both are foam insulators used in insulated shipping containers.  

Let’s make this decision easier with an in-depth breakdown of the differences between the two. Structurally, EPS is foam that is glued in-between two pieces of oriented strand board similar to plywood. This construction technique gives it both lower insulating ability,(R value), and makes it more vulnerable to moisture. This could require the addition of a moisture barrier, depending on the circumstances. Polyurethane is simultaneously insulating and adhesive, so it is applied directly to the oriented strand board. The direct contact between materials gives it a higher insulating rating and makes it less susceptible to moisture. This gives it an added benefit of being mold resistant, if moisture is an issue. We’ve already mentioned that polyurethane has a higher R value than ESB, but that comes with a drawback for shipping – polyurethane is twice as heavy as EPS. The extra weight comes from polyurethane being twice as dense at 2.2 pounds per cubic foot, as EPS at one pound per cubic foot. That extra density means that polyurethane is stronger than EPS. So it can handle rougher treatment in transit than EPS, which might break or flake off in transport. Another point of safety is to think about how they react to chemicals. Polyurethane is chemical resistant and doesn’t react to most substances. If it were to catch fire for some reason, it puts itself out. This is a big plus in warehouses where a variety of chemical compounds are being shipped. EPS, in comparison, reacts violently to a number chemicals, especially petroleum based, and isn’t self extinguishing. 

When all of the factors are compared, we can see the advantages and disadvantages of both. Expanded polyurethane is better suited for applications where there isn’t a critical need or a life and death situation. It’s cost effective, lighter, easier to move around and it can be molded in many shapes based on the need. A Polyurethane shipper is recommended when there is a need to transport human tissue, from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon. It’s more expensive, heavier, and will take longer to get if you need something custom, but it will keep its’ valuable cargo intact and preserved with less chance of failure. 

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