Phase change material-coated heat exchange tubes
Disclosed herein is a hollow tube comprising two ends, one end adapted to receive a fluid and the other end adapted to discharge the fluid, where the hollow tube has an interior surface and an exterior surface and a curable composition is disposed about at least a portion of the exterior surface of the hollow tube, where the curable composition comprises before cure: a curable component, a thermally conductive component, a phase change material, and a cure system.
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.