ENERGY STORAGE

1 . A method of forming a composite thermochemical material, the method comprising providing an inorganic host material and providing a hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt, mixing the inorganic host material and hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt in relative low humidity conditions to form a dr powder mix, allowing or causing at least a portion of the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt to enter pores and/or void spaces of the inorganic host material and forming the dry powder mix into a shaped body.

2 . The method according to claim 1 comprising providing the inorganic host material as particles.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing the inorganic host material in a size range of 0.01 to 10 mm, for example from any one of 0.02, 0.03, 0.4 or 0.05 to any one of 10.0, 9.0, 8.0, 7.0, 6.0, 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0 mm.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt as particles.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt in, or causing the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt to have, a size range of 0.01 μm to 100 μm.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt at weight proportions of 20 to 80 wt % and/or providing the inorganic host material at weight proportions of 80 to 20 wt %, preferably providing the hydrated or hydratable salt in excess (wt %) of the inorganic host material.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing the hydrated or hydratable salt in mass excess compared to the inorganic host material.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing a binder.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing a binder to the mix and, preferably, subsequently mixing.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing a binder in amounts of up to 5 wt %.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing, preferably under shear, causes or allows at least a portion of the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt to enter pores of the inorganic host material.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising adding a flow aid, for example adding a flow aid in up to 5 wt %.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising forming the mix into a shaped body by one or more of pelletising, tabletting, granulating or extruding the mix.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing the shaped body with a maximum transverse dimension in the range of of from 1 to 600 mm.

16 . A composite thermochemical material, the thermochemical material comprising a dry powder mixture of particles of inorganic host material and a hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt, wherein at least a portion of the hydrated or hydratable salt is located within pores and/or void spaces of the inorganic host material and the hydrated or hydratable salt is present in excess of 40 wt %.

17 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 16 , wherein the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt is selected from MgSO 4 ·7H 2 O, K 2 CO 3 ·H 2 O, CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O or SrBr 2 ·6H 2 O, Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ·6H 2 O, CuSO 4 ·5H 2 O, Li 2 SO 4 ·H 2 O, Ca(OH) 2 , Mg(OH) 2 ·H 2 O, Fe(OH) 2 , Na 2 S·5H 2 O, CaCl 2 )·6H 2 O, MgCl 2 ·6H 2 O or mixtures thereof.

18 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 16 , wherein the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt has a theoretical volumetric energy density of or above 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1 or 3.2 GJ/m 3 .

19 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 16 , wherein the hydrated or hydratable inorganic salt is present in percentages above 45 wt %, say above 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, or 80 wt % and/or wherein the inorganic host material in percentage of less than 60 wt %, e.g. less than 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20 wt %.

20 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 16 , wherein the inorganic host material is selected from vermiculite, zeolites, MgO, diatomite, clay, silica gel, porous glass, attapulgite, graphite, activated carbon, graphite and/or combinations thereof.

21 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 16 , wherein the particles of inorganic host material have a diameter in excess of 0.02 mm, for example in the size range of 0.02, 0.03, 0.4 or 0.05 to 10.0 9.0, 8.0, 7.0, 6.0, 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0 mm, preferably in the range 0.05 mm to 1 mm.

22 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 16 , further comprising a binder and wherein the binder may be selected from polyvinylpyrrolidone (polyvidone PVP), starches, alginates, casein, cellulose adhesives, for example hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), polyacrylic acid and mixtures of the same.

23 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 22 , wherein the binder is in a range of up to 5 wt %, for example between 0.25 to 5 wt %, e.g. 0.5 to 3 wt %.

24 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 16 , further comprising a flow aid, for example a flow aid present in the amount of 0.01% to 5.0%.

25 . The composite thermochemical material according to claim 16 provided in a pellet, tablet, extruded or granular form.