The origins of the vacuum flask can be traced back to ancient Roman times when people first began experimenting with insulated containers. However, the modern vacuum flask as we know it today is the result of a series of scientific inventions and technological breakthroughs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1879, German physicist James Dewar created a double-walled glass container with a vacuum between the layers. This invention laid the foundation for future vacuum flasks. In 1890, British chemist Charles Adolph Faumus Dewar improved upon this design by adding a silver coating to the inner walls of the double-layered glass, further enhancing its insulating properties.
In 1892, British scientist Sir James Dewar made a crucial improvement to this design. He commissioned craftsmen to create a double-walled glass container with mercury coating the inner walls and a vacuum between the layers. This design is considered the direct predecessor of the modern vacuum flask and is also known as the “Dewar flask.”
In 1902, German inventor Reinhold Burger added a metal casing to the outside of the vacuum flask, providing both protection and improved aesthetics. He patented this design and began mass production, making vacuum flasks accessible to ordinary households.
In China, the vacuum flask manufacturing industry started later but developed rapidly. In September 1925, Da Yaoqian, who had returned from studying in the United States, founded the “Xiexin” Glass Factory in Shanghai and successfully produced China’s first domestically manufactured 2-pound vacuum flask, named the “Qilin” brand. This marked the beginning of China’s vacuum flask manufacturing industry.
The person who truly propelled vacuum flasks into becoming a Chinese industrial product was Liang Bozhi from Guangdong. He established the Guangming Electric Company in Shanghai, producing and selling “Rexin” brand thermos flasks, with products exported nationwide and to Southeast Asia. Between 1931 and 1932, there were 46 vacuum flask factories in Shanghai founded with Chinese private capital, with Guangming, Lixing, and Guangda being the largest enterprises.
In 1934, Shanghai’s Lixing “Great Wall” Thermos Flask Factory invented the world’s first 5-pound handled vacuum flask, establishing the basic style for Chinese vacuum flasks. Subsequently, Shanghai Guangda Thermos Flask Factory developed the compact and portable 0.5-pound small thermos and the 1.5-pound military travel thermos, diversifying the product range.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the vacuum flask industry entered a period of rapid development. Production increased from 8.55 million units in 1952 to over 100 million in 1978, and reached 570 million units by 2010, showing explosive growth. However, with changing times, traditional large and medium-sized household vacuum flasks gradually exited the market, replaced by portable insulated cups, reflecting changes in people’s lifestyles.
Notably, Zhejiang Jiate Insulation Technology Co., Ltd., as a leading domestic insulated cup manufacturer, has not only achieved success in product development and market expansion, but its chairman, Qiu Jingtao, also invested in establishing the China Century Vacuum Flask Museum. This museum plays an important role in preserving and disseminating the history of China’s vacuum flask industry. This approach of combining business development with social responsibility demonstrates the spirit of modern private entrepreneurs.
In summary, the history of the vacuum flask reflects technological progress, industrialization processes, and changes in people’s lifestyles. From its initial status as a product of scientific experimentation to becoming a household item, and then evolving into portable designs adapted to modern lifestyles, the evolution of the vacuum flask has witnessed nearly one and a half centuries of social change.
