Vacuum flasks, later also called insulated water bottles, are adopted to keep liquids at an agreeable temperature. Such a water container is capable of keeping hot liquids hot and cold drinks cold for the ongoing hours, and the exact insulation performance varies from bottles to bottles. How does a thermos vacuum flask work? Does different material exert different influences onto the insulated water bottles? In this article, you will be exposed to the revelation of vacuum flasks / insulated water bottles.
I. Vacuum Flasks — The History
The vacuum flask was originally designed and created by Sir James Dewar, a Scottish scientists who was devoted to studying cryogenics. And the vacuum flask was also called Dewar flask to honor its great inventor. Frankly speaking, the invention of vacuum flask owes to an experiment.
In order to determine the specific heat of palladium (an element), James Dewar created a brass chamber and enclosed it in another chamber before squeezing out the air between the two. In fact, the double-walled stainless steel insulation structure invented later exactly models on Dewar’s chamber structure. Dewar accidentally created a partial vacuum space and the desired temperature of the element palladium was maintained. After this experiment, Dewar invented the first temperature-retaining container yet refused to patent it. On the contrary, he thought this invention should be used as a common household item.
So when did the first vacuum flask come out? In 1904, two German glassblowers found that Dewar’s invention could be used to keep liquids cold or hot for longer, and then transformed Dewar’ invention into a commercial item calling it Thermos. The thermos flask caught a Viennese inventor’s eyes due to the outstanding performance and was later innovated further in the United States where the Thermos Bottle Company was founded. This company started to manufacturer vacuum flasks in bulk and succeeded in cutting down the price, allowing this insulated container to be affordable for home use.
As time went by, Thermos Bottle Company improved the shape and material of its insulated vacuum flask and expanded the size. As a result, the American people was able to carry coffee and other beverages with the vacuum flask and enjoy them at desired temperatures. After that, the vacuum flask was often called the insulated water bottle.
In 1980s, Chinese water bottle manufacturer managed to make the first stainless steel insulated water bottle in the world, ushering in the new era of insulated water bottles. And after decades of development and revolution, Chinese water bottle suppliers can offer the world the best stainless steel drinking gears of a variety of types. And that’s why there are so many famous water bottle companies in the United States and Europe choosing to work with Chinese water bottle manufacturers.
II. Stainless Steel Water Bottles — The Solution
There are many types of water bottles in the market, each displaying different traits and functions. Plastic water bottles are generally disposable ones that are convenient to use and handle, yet are not sustainable and insulated. Most plastic water containers are not 100% BPA-free, which means people will gradually develop hormone-related illnesses getting hydrated with this type of flasks. Glass water bottles and ceramic flasks are elegant ones yet are not portable. These two types of drinking gears are susceptible to impacts and will crack when used carelessly. Even worse, the shattered glass or ceramic fragments may hurt people causing bleeding.
What about other types of water bottles? Yes, you must have drunk beverages (like Cola and Pepsi) with aluminum bottles. Does an aluminum bottle have the insulation performance? Apparently no. In the hot days your drinks contained in an aluminum can will become warm or even hot when the can is directly exposed to the sun. Therefore, it seems that there is only one option left, namely, stainless steel water bottles. And luckily, it is the solution we are seeking.
Stainless steel water bottles can be classified into two kinds: the single-walled stainless steel water bottle and the double-walled stainless steel water bottle. Although they belong to the same family, they are entirely different in terms of the insulation functionality. And it is the latter one that manages to keep piping hot liquids hot for longer. So here we only talk about double-walled stainless steel water bottles.
Normally, a quality stainless steel water bottle is made of stainless steel 18-8, a kind of kitchen-grade alloy that is widely adopted in food containers. Stainless steel 18-8 contains no BPA and is safe for hydration. The bottle is engineered with a double-walled insulation structure where air is squeezed out to form a so-called vacuum space. In this way, radiation, convection and conduction is minimized, hence the realization of the heat-retaining function.
Some water bottle manufacturers, in order to further enhance the insulation performance, add an extra layer of copper onto the inner stainless steel wall. Although such a bottle equipped with a layer of copper is usually a little bit expensive due to the increased material cost, it gives people a pleasant using experience.
III. Stainless Steel Water Bottles — The Future
Take a look at the news and you will find reports about the deteriorating environment. In fact, the mass production and using of plastic products have gradually contaminated the nature resulting in a series of man-made disasters. Fortunately, the plastic pollution has called the world’s attention and governments are taking actions to respond to these environment-related issues.
Under this circumstance, drinking water with a sustainable and reusable stainless steel water bottle in place of single-used plastic water bottles is compliant with the trend and becomes popular in many places around the world. Staying hydrated with such a premium water bottle will not pollute the environment (though the manufacturing processes do) and can make contributions to the overall fight against plastic pollution. Besides, unlike plastic water bottles that unavoidably contain harmful additions like BPA that does harm to the body, stainless steel insulated water bottles are quite safe for hydration and can offer drinkers the pure taste.
It is firmly believed and scientifically predicted that getting hydrated with a stainless steel water bottle will continue to lead the trend in the days ahead.
IV. How Does a Vacuum Flask Work
In general, a vacuum flask has an inner chamber and a plastic shell separated by a glass part lined with a reflective layer. The glass part consists of two layers of glass where air has been evacuated to form a vacuum room. At the top of the flask is a stopper that aims to seal the flask tightly.
Heat conduction, convection and radiation are the main reasons why liquids held in a normal container fail to maintain the temperature. The two layers of glass endeavor to prevent conduction due to the lack of medium in the vacuum space. The tight stopper manages to prevent air from leaving or penetrating into the insulated flask. Besides, the reflective lining helps to minimize the occurrence of heat radiation who is forced to go straight and then back again. These joint efforts succeed in enabling water to stay piping hot in the flask for more hours. Similarly, the same goes for icy cold liquids.
The insulated vacuum flask has greatly improved our life and continues to be practical and helpful in the daily life. However, stainless steel water bottles seem to be much more popular due to their portability, durability and attractive designs.
V. Thermos Bottle Design
How to design vacuum flasks that can be manufactured? How to design vacuum insulated stainless steel water bottles with excellent thermal insulation performance, durable and stylish? This is a huge challenge faced by many designers.
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VI. How are Metal Vacuum Flasks Made
Vacuum flask manufacturing process: Outer tank building – Inner tank building – Welding – Vacuuming – Polishing – Decorating – Packing
Click and read more: Stainless Steel Vacuum Flask Manufacturing Process
VII. Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Tumbler Cup Bottle Manufacturing Cost
How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture Stainless Steel Water Bottles? If you want to launch a custom design stainless steel water bottle project, you need to know how much it will cost you for manufacturing and customizing a single bottle. Besides, it is also a must to know what will affect the entire cost.
Click and read more: How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture Stainless Steel Water Bottles?
