In contrast with Vacuum Insulated Pipe, the name Vacuum Jacketed Pipe focuses on the construction of the piping system. Here, the “Jacket” is the key feature. The “Jacket” is most often made of stainless steel that matches the carrier pipe construction material. This helps prevent corrosion and eliminate dissimilar welds while providing strength for structural stability and vacuum retention. Don’t let the name fool you, this piping system also uses vacuum and MLI to minimize conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer.

In LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) piping systems, the jacket pipe is often made thicker, capable of withstanding the full pressure and temperature of the cryogenic fluid so that it can be contained in the unlikely event the carrier pipe fails. This practice is commonly known as dual containment or secondary containment and is especially important when LNG facilities are located near business and residential communities. The practice of dual containment helps to significantly reduce the risk of release of LNG or gaseous natural gas and allows facilities to pass regulatory and environmental impact approval.

So which is it, Vacuum Insulated or Jacketed Pipe?  Officially, Vacuum Insulated Pipe (VIP), is more common, showing up on articles, websites, and in official industry publications. However, when people in the industry talk about this type of piping, they almost always say, VJ pipe. Here is our recommendation, if you’re looking for information, use Vacuum Insulated Pipe. If you’re talking to an engineer at NASA or freezer farm manager at big pharma, make sure you call it VJ Pipe.