Gel comprising a phase-change material, method of preparing the gel, and thermal exchange implement comprising the gel

1. A method of preparing a gel, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material comprises at least one organic phase-change material selected from the group consisting of n-alkanes;

(b) providing a gelling agent, wherein the gelling agent comprises at least one saturated olefin rubber and wherein the gelling agent constitutes up to about 10%, by weight, of the gel;

(c) mixing together the phase-change material and the gelling agent at a temperature above room temperature, below the flashpoint of the phase-change material and not exceeding 90° C. to partially, but not completely, dissolve the gelling agent, whereby a non-homogeneous mixture is produced; and

(d) allowing the non-homogeneous mixture to cool to room temperature.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one organic phase-change material is selected from the group consisting of n-tetradecane, n-hexadecane, n-octadecane, and mixtures thereof.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gelling agent is at least one hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the gelling agent is at least one styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene tri-block copolymer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the gelling agent is at least one high molecular weight styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene tri-block copolymer with a styrene:rubber ratio in the range of about 30:70 to 33:67 by weight.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene tri-block copolymer and a styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene tri-block copolymer.

7. A method of preparing a gel, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material comprises at least one organic phase-change material, wherein the at least one organic phase-change material is n-tetradecane;

(b) providing a gelling agent, wherein the gelling agent comprises at least one saturated olefin rubber and wherein the gelling agent constitutes up to about 10%, by weight, of the gel;

(c) mixing together the phase-change material and the gelling agent at a temperature above room temperature, below the flashpoint of the phase-change material and not exceeding 90° C. to partially, but not completely, dissolve the gelling agent, whereby a non-homogeneous mixture is produced; and

(d) allowing the non-homogeneous mixture to cool to room temperature.

8. A method of preparing a gel, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material comprises at least one organic phase-change material, wherein the at least one organic phase-change material is n-tetradecane;

(b) providing a gelling agent, wherein the gelling agent comprises at least one saturated olefin rubber, wherein the gelling agent constitutes up to about 10%, by weight, of the gel, and wherein the gelling agent is a high molecular weight styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene tri-block copolymer with a styrene:rubber ratio in the range of about 30:70 to 33:67 by weight;

(c) mixing together the phase-change material and the gelling agent at a temperature above room temperature but below the flashpoint of the phase-change material to partially, but not completely, dissolve the gelling agent, whereby a non-homogeneous mixture is produced; and

(d) allowing the non-homogeneous mixture to cool to room temperature.

9. A method of preparing a gel, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material is n-tetradecane;

(b) providing a gelling agent, wherein the gelling agent is a high molecular weight styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene tri-block copolymer with a styrene:rubber ratio in the range of about 30:70 to 33:67 by weight and wherein the gelling agent constitutes up to about 10%, by weight, of the gel, with the phase-change material constituting the remainder of the gel;

(c) mixing together the phase-change material and the gelling agent at a temperature above room temperature but below the flashpoint of the phase-change material to partially, but not completely, dissolve the gelling agent, whereby a non-homogeneous mixture is produced; and

(d) allowing the non-homogeneous mixture to cool to room temperature.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the gelling agent constitutes less than 6%, by weight, of the gel, with the phase-change material constituting the remainder of the gel.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the temperature at which the phase-change material and the gelling agent are mixed together is in the range of about 40° C. to about 55° C.

12. A method of preparing a gel, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a phase-change material;

(b) providing a gelling agent, wherein the gelling agent is at least one styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene tri-block copolymer;

(c) mixing together the phase-change material and the gelling agent at a temperature above room temperature but below the flashpoint of the phase-change material to partially, but not completely, dissolve the gelling agent, whereby a non-homogeneous mixture is produced; and

(d) allowing the non-homogeneous mixture to cool to room temperature.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the gelling agent is at least one high molecular weight styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene tri-block copolymer with a styrene:rubber ratio of about 20:80 by weight.

14. A method of preparing a gel, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material comprises at least one organic phase-change material selected from the group consisting of n-alkanes;

(b) providing a gelling agent, wherein the gelling agent comprises at least one saturated olefin rubber and wherein the gelling agent constitutes less than 6% by weight of the gel;

(c) mixing together the phase-change material and the gelling agent at a temperature above room temperature but below the flashpoint of the phase-change material to partially, but not completely, dissolve the gelling agent, whereby a non-homogeneous mixture is produced; and

(d) allowing the non-homogeneous mixture to cool to room temperature.

15. A method of preparing a gel, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a phase-change material, wherein the phase-change material is at least one n-alkane;

(b) providing a gelling agent, wherein the gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene tri-block copolymer and a styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene tri-block copolymer and wherein the gelling agent constitutes up to about 10%, by weight, of the gel;

(c) mixing together the phase-change material and the gelling agent at a temperature above room temperature but below the flashpoint of the phase-change material to partially, but not completely, dissolve the gelling agent, whereby a non-homogeneous mixture is produced, wherein the temperature at which the phase-change material and the gelling agent are mixed together is in the range of about 40° C. to about 55° C.; and

(d) allowing the non-homogenous mixture to cool to room temperature.