Ford sells the tube from the parts counter without the insulation, it's an expensive piece of "pipe". No power increases, I think my turbo made a little bit more noise that I can notice inside the cab.
If they were worried about heat, wouldn't the other intercooler tube be covered in the same foil? That pipe wont get hot enough to make any difference if the foil is there or not IMO.
You have to remove the pipe completely to do the job, it was impossible for me to remove the foil while it was still fastened inside.
Powder coating I think would be the best long term solution if you want to make it look nice and keep it that way for a while over wear and tear with dirt, dust, etc. etc.