Cold Chain Packaging Laboratory
A look inside the Lab...
Ensuring the integrity of temperature-sensitive products during transportation is a critical challenge in today’s supply chain. Whether it’s life-saving pharmaceuticals, fresh food, or high-value biological materials, cold chain packaging must maintain precise temperature conditions to prevent spoilage and ensure product safety.
The Cold Chain Packaging Lab at Virginia Tech provides cutting-edge research, consulting, and contract testing services to help companies develop and validate effective packaging solutions. Equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and analytical tools, the lab evaluates thermal performance, optimizes container designs, and supports the industry’s transition to more sustainable cold chain packaging systems.
Lab Capabilities
The Cold Chain Packaging Lab at Virginia Tech offers a comprehensive suite of testing, research, and consulting services to ensure the safe and efficient transport of temperature-sensitive products. Our advanced equipment and expert faculty enable us to evaluate packaging solutions with precision, helping companies optimize their cold chain strategies.
We offer the following services to our clients:
- Evaluation of Thermal Properties of Materials
- Utilizing tools such as heat flow meter and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), we assess the insulation performance of packaging materials and refrigerants to determine their suitability for cold chain applications.
- Utilizing tools such as heat flow meter and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), we assess the insulation performance of packaging materials and refrigerants to determine their suitability for cold chain applications.
- Prototyping and Testing of Insulated Shipping Containers
- Our lab designs, develops, and tests insulated packaging solutions to ensure they meet industry standards and maintain the required temperature ranges throughout transportation.
- Our lab designs, develops, and tests insulated packaging solutions to ensure they meet industry standards and maintain the required temperature ranges throughout transportation.
- Custom Thermal Packaging Solutions
- We collaborate with companies to design and optimize thermal shipping solutions tailored to specific product and distribution requirements.
- We collaborate with companies to design and optimize thermal shipping solutions tailored to specific product and distribution requirements.
- Thermal Modeling & Lane Assessment
- Using advanced modeling techniques, we predict how packaging solutions will perform under real-world shipping conditions and evaluate the impacts of temperature fluctuations along specific transportation routes.
- Using advanced modeling techniques, we predict how packaging solutions will perform under real-world shipping conditions and evaluate the impacts of temperature fluctuations along specific transportation routes.
- Shock, Vibration, Temperature, and Humidity Field Data Collection
- We conduct real-world monitoring and data collection to simulate and analyze the impact of transportation environments on packaging integrity.
- We conduct real-world monitoring and data collection to simulate and analyze the impact of transportation environments on packaging integrity.
- Complete Mechanical and Thermal Performance Evaluations
- Our lab conducts rigorous testing to validate the durability and efficiency of packaging solutions under diverse environmental and mechanical conditions.
Our team follows well-established industry standards, including ASTM D3103-20, ASTM D4332, ISTA 7D, and ISTA 7E, ensuring that all testing aligns with globally recognized benchmarks for cold chain packaging.
Sustainability in Cold Chain Packaging
As industries seek to reduce their environmental impact, the Cold Chain Packaging Lab at Virginia Tech is committed to advancing sustainable solutions for temperature-sensitive transportation. Maintaining the cold chain requires energy-intensive packaging materials and refrigerants, but our research and testing services help companies minimize waste, improve efficiency, and transition toward more eco-friendly alternatives without compromising product integrity.
Our approach to sustainability includes:
- Eco-Friendly Material Development
- We assess the thermal performance of biodegradable, recyclable, and bio-based insulation materials to identify viable alternatives to traditional materials like expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polyurethane foams.
- Reducing Refrigerant Waste
- Our lab evaluates phase change materials (PCMs) and other innovative refrigerant technologies that offer improved thermal stability while reducing reliance on single-use cooling agents.
- Optimized Packaging Design for Lower Carbon Footprint
- Through advanced thermal modeling and lane assessments, we help companies develop right-sized, energy-efficient packaging solutions that reduce excess material usage and improve transport efficiency.
Work with the Cold Chain Packaging Lab so we can help your company achieve product protection and environmental responsibility. Let's make cold chain logistics efficient and sustainable together!
