Insulated bodies for refrigerated transport vehicles: past, present and future construction techniques.

Refrigerated vehicles used for cold chain are generally built today with «sandwich» panels in which the insulation is generally made of polyurethane foam. The term polyurethane stands for a family of insulating materials that in addition to the polyurethane (PUR) also includes polyisocyanurate foams (PIR). Sometimes vehicles are also realized with expanded polystyrene (PSE). Construction techniques vary from one country to another and the insulation properties are obtained by means of expanding gases. These gases have undergone a process of evolution since 1970, when chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were used for the construction of insulated vehicles. Design and technology continue to adapt to meet the regulatory requirements, improve the performance and reduce the environmental impact. This paper presents the evolution of construction techniques and materials used for the manufacture of insulated vehicles. Past, present and future trends in three key regions: Europe, Asia and North America.