Phase change material-coated heat exchange tubes

1 . A hollow tube comprising two ends, one end adapted to receive a fluid and the other end adapted to discharge the fluid, wherein the hollow tube has an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein a composition is disposed as a coating about at least a portion of the exterior surface of the hollow tube, wherein the composition comprises either:

A.

i) a curable component;

ii) a thermally conductive component;

iii) a phase change material; and

iv) a cure system; or

B.

i) a binder component;

ii) a thermally conductive component;

iii) a phase change material; and

iv) water;

wherein the composition modulates the temperature an end user experiences from contact with the hollow tube while the hollow tube is in use.

2 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tube is constructed of metal.

3 . The hollow tube of claim 2 , wherein the metal is selected from aluminum, steel, copper, or combinations or alloys thereof.

4 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an anti-oxidant, a corrosion inhibitor, a UV-stabilizer, a thermostabilizer, a flame retardant, or a combination thereof.

5 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is aqueous.

6 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises one or more alkanes.

7 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises one or more alkanes that are branched and/or substituted with one or more halogen atoms.

8 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises isobutane, tetrafluoroethane, and combinations thereof.

9 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the curable component comprises an epoxy resin, a polyurethane matrix, a hot melt, a silicon component, a (meth)acrylate, or a combination thereof.

10 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the curable component comprises an epoxy resin component selected from one or more saturated, unsaturated, cyclic or acyclic, aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic polyepoxide compounds.

11 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the curable component comprises a (meth)acrylate component selected from one or more monofunctional, multifunctional, linear aliphatic, branched aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic, alkoxylated alkyl and aryl groups.

12 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the curable component is present in an amount of 20 to 80 percent by weight based on the total weight of the curable composition.

13 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive component is selected from boron nitride, silver, copper, or carbon.

14 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive component is present in an amount of 1 to 40 percent by weight based on the total weight of the curable composition.

15 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is encapsulated.

16 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material comprises a phase change material that changes phase from solid to liquid at a temperature in the range of 25° C. to 60° C.

17 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material comprises a phase change material that changes phase from solid to liquid at a temperature in the range of 30° C. to 40° C.

18 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material has a particle size in the range of 15 um to 30 um.

19 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material comprises paraffin, fatty acids, esters, alcohols, glycols, organic eutectics, petrolatum, beeswax, palm wax, mineral waxes, glycerin and/or certain vegetable oils.

20 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material comprises salt hydrates and/or metal eutectics.

21 . The hollow tube of claim 1 , wherein 95 percent or more of the exterior surface of the hollow tube is coated with the composition.