Development of thermal energy storage materials for biomedical applications

Abstract

The phase change materials (PCMs) have been utilized widely for solar thermal energy storage (TES) devices. The quality of these materials to remain at a particular temperature during solid–liquid, liquid–solid phase transition can also be utilized for many biomedical applications as well and has been explored in recent past already. This study reports some novel PCMs developed by them, along with some existing PCMs, to be used for such biomedical applications. Interestingly, it was observed that the heating/cooling properties of these PCMs enhance the quality of a variety of biomedical applications with many advantages (non-electric, no risk of electric shock, easy to handle, easy to recharge thermally, long life, cheap and easily available, reusable) over existing applications. Results of the present study are quite interesting and exciting, opening a plethora of opportunities for more work on the subject, which require overlapping expertise of material scientists, biochemists and medical experts for broader social benefits.

• Phase change materials (PCM)
• thermal control
• thermal energy storage (TES)
• thermaltherapy

Acknowledgements

The authors are highly thankful to the research grants provided by DST (Reference No. SR/S3/MERC/014/2010 and SEED/TIDE/017/2012/C) and Indo-Taiwan joint research project grant (GITA/DST/TWN/P-40/2012) between “Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) Rae Bareli” & Kun Shan University (KSU), Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C. to carry out this work. A. Shukla and A. Sharma are also grateful to the Kun Shan University for providing kind hospitality and necessary arrangements for their stay at Kun Shan University, Taiwan, where a part of this work was done.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes

†T_m refers for Melting temperature (in °C) and λ_m Latent Heat of Fusion (kJ g⁻¹).

†Cloth capable of absorbing and dissipating heat, Inventor: Chang-Ren Chen, Yuh-Ping Chang, Huan-Ming Chou, Rong-Fang Hong, Atul Sharma Taiwan Patent Certificate No. M342939; Foot Warming Device Inventor: Chang-Ren Chen, Yuh-Ping Chang, Huan-Ming Chou, Rong-Fang Hong, Atul Sharma, Taiwan patent Certificate No. M344146.