Results!
Cooling Performance Test: Boxes were placed in test area (the basement on a concrete slab) and allowed to acclimatize overnight. 3.5 lbs of ice were put into each box. Environmental temperature was not recorded as it should be constant for all and not relevant to comparative results. Note: boxes were located near an operating ceramic kiln so air temperatures were quite high for a basement environment.
Durability Test: A full (unopened) can of soda (at refrigerator temperature) was dropped, bottom side down from 36″ into the container (at room temperature)
Test Subject #1 – Flex Seal
Cooling performance: All ice melted in less than 68 hours
Durability: Bottom of can hit at a slight angle and caused 1.5″ semi-circular tear lining, dented insulation beyond
Test Subject #2 – LineX
Cooling Performance: All ice melted in less than 68 hours. Note: Line-x spray was not water-tight and melted ice leaked into container and onto floor. After 24 hours remaining ice was put into a bowl inside the box. Not clear if this affected results. Heat gain due to loss of cold water was probably partially offset by reduced surface contact of ice alone against the inside lining.
Durability: No effect on lining. Slightly dented bottom of can
Control – Plastic Cooler
Cooling Performance: All ice melted in 27 hours
Durability: No effect. Can bounced, almost out of cooler. Suspect that plastic lining may have cracked if can was much heavier or dropped from higher.