Definition:Material that absorbs or releases large amounts of latent heat when changing phase (solid to liquid or vice versa) at specific temperature.
Common PCMs in Cold Chain::
- **Water/ice**: 0°C phase change, 334 kJ/kg latent heat
- **Salt-water solutions**: -5°C to -33°C (eutectic formulations)
- **Paraffin waxes**: +5°C to +50°C (various grades)
- **Specialty PCMs**: Custom temperature ranges for specific applications
- Eutectic refrigeration plates (transport cooling)
- Insulated packaging (gel packs, brick packs)
- Cold storage backup (thermal battery)
- Temperature stabilization
- Isothermal cooling (maintains constant temperature during phase change)
- High energy density (stores more cooling per kilogram than sensible cooling)
- Passive system (no power required during operation)
Applications::
Advantages::
Related Terms:: Eutectic System, Gel Pack, Thermal Mass, Latent Heat