1. Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education，School of Chemical and Material Engineering，Jiangnan University，Wuxi 214122，China
2. Wuxi Jiaotong Branch，Jiangsu Union Technical Institute，Wuxi 214151，China
Thermal insulation material is critical to the temperature control of cold chain equipment. However, when facing different temperature control requirements, cold chain equipment manufacturing companies still need the selection basis for differentiated thermal insulation materials. This paper summarizes the primary forms and thermophysical properties of thermal insulation materials for refrigerated containers. Based on the current research status, future development trends are proposed from the following aspects. Foamed plastics and vacuum insulation panels are the primary thermal insulation materials for refrigerated containers due to their excellent overall performance. Foam plastics will develop towards tiny pores and closed cells, environmentally friendly foaming, biomass sources, or biodegradability. Foam plastic/vacuum insulation panel/phase change energy storage synergistic composite structure is currently the most efficient cold chain enclosure structure. It can be further optimized in the future through experiments and simulation technologies. This paper aims to provide a reference for selecting and optimizing thermal insulation materials for refrigerated containers.