Analysis of the Full Installation Process of Vacuum Insulation Panels (STP) and New Developments in the International Market

### I. In - depth Analysis of the Full - process Installation of STP Vacuum Insulation Panels

1. Preparation before Construction: Precise Pretreatment

  - **Base - layer Detection**:

    - Use an infrared thermal imager (such as the FLIR A8000 series) to scan the wall surface. Detect the temperature gradient through thermal imaging technology to ensure it is ≤0.5℃/m. At the same time, use a high - precision humidity sensor (with an accuracy of ±0.1% RH) to monitor the wall humidity, which should be ≤8%. For the renovation of old walls, an X - ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) is required to detect the heavy - metal content in the wall to avoid core material contamination. For example, in a German project, the XRF detection found that the lead content in the wall exceeded the standard. After special treatment, the STP was installed to ensure that the material performance was not affected.

  - **Material Pre - cutting**:

    - Cut the plates according to the design size using a laser water - jet cutting machine (with an accuracy of ±0.1mm), and reserve a 3 - 5mm expansion joint to adapt to thermal expansion and contraction. Immediately after cutting, seal the edges with a nano - level sealant (such as Henkel TEROSON® MS 9385 from Germany). This sealant can maintain elasticity in the range of - 50℃ to 150℃ to prevent air penetration.

  - **Tool Upgrade**:

    - Equip with a vacuum pressure sensor (with a range of 0 - 10Pa) to monitor the vacuum degree of the plates in real - time, and use an electronic torque wrench (with an accuracy of ±2%) to control the fastening force of the anchor nails (the standard value is 8 - 12N·m). For example, in a Japanese construction site, the electronic torque wrench ensures that the fastening force of each anchor nail is consistent, avoiding plate deformation caused by uneven local pressure.

2. Core Installation Process: Modular and Intelligent Construction

  - **Three - dimensional Positioning System**:

    - Based on the BIM + GPS integration technology, use a Trimble V10 laser scanner to establish a three - dimensional model of the wall surface, with the error controlled within ±0.3mm. Construction workers can view the model in real - time through AR glasses to guide the precise splicing of the plates, ensuring that the joint width is ≤1mm. For example, in a super - high - rise building project in Dubai, the application of this technology has increased the installation efficiency by 30%.

  - **Intelligent Bonding Technology**:

    - Use an AI - vision - recognition robot (such as ABB YuMi) to automatically apply graphene - modified bonding mortar (with a bonding strength of ≥1.2MPa), and detect the uniformity of the bonding layer with an ultrasonic flaw detector, with a defect rate of ≤0.5%. This mortar contains graphene nanoparticles, which can improve the thermal conductivity and enhance the bonding force.

  - **Dynamic Sealing Process**:

    - Embed a shape - memory alloy strip (such as Nitinol) at the joint. It can automatically compensate for thermal expansion and contraction in the temperature range of - 50℃ to 80℃, and cooperate with a liquid - metal sealant (such as GaInSn) to achieve nano - level sealing. For example, in a polar project in Norway, the joint did not crack at - 40℃, and the vacuum degree remained stable using this process.

3. Acceptance and Operation and Maintenance: Life - cycle Management

  - **Four - dimensional Detection System**:

    - Use a magnetic - levitation vacuum gauge (MKS 937B) to detect the vacuum degree, which should be ≤10Pa; use the transient plane heat - source method (TPS 2500) to test the thermal conductivity, with the standard value of ≤0.0025 W/(m·K); evaluate the fire - resistance performance through a cone calorimeter (ISO 5660), with the peak heat - release rate of ≤100kW/m²; use a pressure testing machine (Instron 5982) to test the compressive strength, which should be ≥0.5MPa.

  - **Intelligent Operation and Maintenance Platform**:

    - Deploy an Internet of Things sensor network (such as LoRaWAN) to monitor the vacuum degree, temperature field, and stress changes of the plates in real - time. When the vacuum degree drops to the critical value (such as 50Pa), the system automatically triggers an unmanned aerial vehicle inspection (such as DJI Matrice 350 RTK) to locate and mark the damaged area. For example, a data center in Singapore has achieved fault early warning through this platform, and the operation and maintenance efficiency has increased by 40%.

### II. Performance Breakthroughs and Full - scene Applications of STP

1. Revolution in Materials Science

  - **Innovation of Nano - core Materials**:

    - Adopt a composite structure of mesoporous silica aerogel (with a pore size of 2 - 50nm) and a carbon - fiber skeleton. Coating the surface of the core material with an Al₂O₃ nano - layer through atomic - layer deposition technology (ALD) can make the water absorption rate of the core material ≤0.1% and increase the puncture - resistance strength by 3 times. For example, the STP core material prepared by an American laboratory through this technology still maintains structural stability in a liquid - nitrogen environment of - 196℃.

  - **Upgrade of Packaging Technology**:

    - Develop a multi - layer composite gas - barrier film (such as the five - layer structure of EVOH/PET/Al/PET), with a water - vapor permeability of ≤0.001g/(m²·day), and extend the vacuum - maintenance life to more than 30 years. This gas - barrier film uses nano - level coating technology to effectively block the penetration of oxygen and water vapor.

2. Applications in Extreme Environments

  - **Polar Research Stations**:

    - The Chinese Antarctic Zhongshan Station uses STP to cover the building exterior wall. In an environment of - 60℃, the heat loss of the wall is reduced by 85%, and the indoor temperature is stable at 20±2℃. A vacuum - insulated pipeline (DN150) is used for the snow - melting system. When transporting 70℃ hot water, the temperature drop is ≤0.5℃/km. This pipeline adopts a three - layer vacuum structure, with the inner layer being stainless steel, the middle layer being a nano - core material, and the outer layer being a carbon - fiber composite material.

  - **Deep - sea Equipment**:

    - The deep - sea combustible ice pressure - maintaining and heat - insulating sampler developed by Shenzhen University uses STP materials to achieve long - term stability of in - situ pressure (14.5MPa) and temperature (3℃) at a depth of 1385m in the deep sea, ensuring a 100% fidelity of the combustible ice sample. This sampler is equipped with a pressure sensor and a temperature control system to adjust the performance of the thermal - insulation layer in real - time.

  - **Aerospace**:

    - The low - temperature lockers of the Tianzhou - 6 cargo spacecraft use STP materials. In an alternating environment of - 20℃ to 40℃, the heat - preservation time is extended to 120 hours to ensure the safety of astronauts' food and medicine. This STP panel uses a lightweight carbon - fiber shell with a thickness of only 15mm, and its weight is 60% lower than that of traditional thermal - insulation materials.

3. Innovations in Industry and Construction

  - **Cold - chain Logistics**:

    - The medical cold - chain box adopts a composite structure of STP + phase - change material. In an environment of - 80℃, the heat - preservation time can reach 168 hours. It has passed the FDA 21 CFR Part 11 certification and meets the transportation requirements of mRNA vaccines. This cold - chain box is equipped with a temperature recorder to monitor temperature changes in real - time.

  - **Industrial High - temperature Fields**:

    - The Redstone solar thermal power plant in South Africa uses high - temperature - resistant STP (with a temperature resistance of 800℃) to cover the molten - salt storage tank, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 66.5 tons per year and increasing the system efficiency by 12%. This VIP panel uses a ceramic - fiber core material and an outer - layer metal thermal - insulation layer to withstand extreme high temperatures.

  - **Ultra - low - energy - consumption Buildings**:

    - The "HafenCity" project in Hamburg, Germany, uses VIP exterior walls (with a thickness of 20mm). The overall window K - value is ≤0.6 W/(m²·K), and the annual energy consumption is only 15kWh/(m²·a), meeting the European Union's "nearly zero - energy - consumption building" standard. This building adopts a passive design and is combined with a solar photovoltaic system to achieve energy self - sufficiency.

### III. International Market Dynamics and Technological Trends

1. Iteration of Policies and Standards

  - **European Union**:

    - The **Energy Performance of Buildings Directive** implemented in 2025 requires that the thermal conductivity of the exterior walls of new buildings be ≤0.10 W/(m·K), promoting the STP penetration rate to increase to 45%. German company VA - Q - TEC has launched a recyclable VIP, with a 35% reduction in carbon footprint, and has obtained the EU CE certification.

  - **United States**:

    - The California Title 24 - 2025 standard reduces the limit of the thermal conductivity of the insulation layer of industrial equipment from 0.035 W/(m·K) to 0.025 W/(m·K). Aspen Aerogels has launched a VIP resistant to 1000℃, which has been applied to the thermal - insulation layer of the Boeing 787 engine.

  - **China**:

    - The **Technical Standard for Passive Ultra - low - energy - consumption Buildings** (GB/T 51350 - 2024) lists STP as a core material. The 5mm ultra - thin VIP developed by Zhengzhou Exceed has passed the scientific and technological achievement evaluation of the Ministry of Housing and Urban - Rural Development, and the installation efficiency has increased by 50%.

2. Technological Breakthroughs

  - **Flexible STP**:

    - The Swiss company BASF has launched the NanoFlex® flexible nanosheet, which can have a bending radius of ≤5mm, is suitable for complex curved surfaces such as pipelines and ships, and has a thermal conductivity of ≤0.003 W/(m·K). This material uses a nanofiber matrix and can withstand repeated bending.

  - **Intelligent STP**:

    - South Korea's LG Chem has developed a self - repairing STP. When the vacuum degree drops, the built - in micro - capsules release a sealant to automatically repair the damage, and it has been applied in the cold aisle of data centers. This technology achieves automatic repair by the rupture of micro - capsules to release the sealant.

### Conclusion

Vacuum insulation panels are transitioning from traditional thermal - insulation materials to a full - scene, intelligent, and extreme - environment - oriented direction. With the breakthroughs in AI construction technology, self - repairing materials, and ultra - high - temperature - resistant core materials, STP will drive a 40% reduction in global building and industrial energy consumption before 2030, becoming a strategic fulcrum for achieving the "dual - carbon" goal.