Anyone who ships products that require a specific temperature already knows that maintaining that temperature level is crucial. Without doing so, pharmaceuticals could lose efficacy. Meaning chocolate could melt, and raw ingredients could breed bacteria, making them unsafe for consumption. Reefer units and insulated shipping boxes are essential to prevent this from happening. But one other tool plays an important role, and that is a refrigerant.
Cool On The Inside
Reefer units are active temperature control systems that maintain a specified temperature level within a shipping container. Insulated shipping boxes are a crucial auxiliary level of protection. Items packaged in insulated shipping boxes can retain their initial shipping temperature for hours or even days without any assistance from external refrigeration. This is a crucial form of protection during transferral periods. Such as when goods are waiting to be moved onto an aircraft while sitting on a hot tarmac.
Refrigerants, however, complete this triumvirate. If reefer units keep the exterior air cool and insulated shipping boxes prevent temperature changes from outside or inside, then the refrigerant helps keep the interior of the shipped product cool.
Refrigerants come in three general types. These are:
Dry Ice
Dry ice is actually just frozen carbon dioxide. It is the most effective refrigerant for products that need to maintain extremely low temperatures during shipping. Some medical materials, such as vaccines, would fall under this category. Diagnostic samples are another item that benefits from dry ice refrigerants for shipping.
Gel Packs
Also called cold packs, gel packs are a mix of water partnered with an additional gelling agent, such as hydroxyethyl cellulose and sodium polyacrylate. They are frozen prior to being placed in insulated shipping boxes. They begin to thaw slowly at temperatures above freezing, but they do this by absorbing the heat in the package, thus helping the product stay cool.
Phase Change Materials
Technically, water is a phase change material, as it can become a solid or liquid depending on the temperature. However, for shipping purposes, PCMs are reusable, similar to gel packs, and can also be used to keep products cool or warm. Different materials for PCM construction mean that it’s possible to customize PCMs to a specific temperature, making them ideal for precision temperature maintenance in shipping when this is required.
If you’re shipping temperature-sensitive products and want to know what kind of insulated shipping boxes will safely transport them to their destination, we can help. Contact us to explain your shipping needs and obtain a quote.
