Storage containers including negative thermal expansion coefficient materials

Abstract

A container may have a first component configured to contain one or more articles, and a second component configured to confine the one or more articles contained in the first component where at least one of the first component and the second component have at least a portion made from a material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient.

1 . A container comprising:
 a first component configured to contain one or more articles; and   a second component configured to confine the one or more articles contained in the first component;   wherein at least one of the first component and the second component have at least a portion made from a material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the first component is configured to contain food, beverages, medicine, hazardous chemicals, air-reactive materials, sublimating materials, hygroscopic materials, aromatics, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient is one or more of cubic zirconium tungstate, zirconium vanadate, cubic scandium trifluoride, poly(acrylamide), siliceous faujasite, poly(diacetylene), lead titanate, Kevlar, or silica-titania. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient has a negative thermal expansion coefficient from a temperature of about −20° C. to about 120° C. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first component and the second component comprises a gasket. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the gasket is made from the material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the second component is configured to be affixed to the first component by screwing on to the first component, snap-fitting on to the first component, friction fitting on to the first component, or plugging into the first component. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the second component overlaps with at least a portion of the first component. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the overlapping portion of the first component, the second component, or both the first component and the second component is made from the material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the overlapping portion of the first component is made from a first material having negative thermal expansion coefficient and the overlapping portion of the second component is made from a second material having negative thermal expansion coefficient that is different from the first material having negative thermal expansion coefficient. 
     
     
         11 . A method of containing one or more articles, the method comprising:
 confining the one or more articles in the first component using the second component.   placing the one or more articles in a first component of a container comprising the first component configured to contain one or more articles, and a second component configured to confine the one or more articles contained in the first component, wherein at least one of the first component and the second component have at least a portion made from a material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient; and   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the article is food, beverages, medicine, hazardous chemicals, air-reactive materials, sublimating materials, hygroscopic materials, aromatics, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising affixing the second component to the first component by screwing on to the first component, snap-fitting on to the first component, friction fitting on to the first component, or plugging into the first component. 
     
     
         14 . A method of sealing a container, the method comprising:
 affixing a second component configured to confine one or more articles contained in a first component to the first component configured to contain the one or more articles,   wherein at least one of the first component and the second component have at least a portion made from a material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient; and   reducing a temperature of the container, such that the component made from a material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient expands to create the seal.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein one of the first component and the second component comprises a gasket. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein affixing the second component to the first component comprises screwing the second component on to the first component, snap-fitting the second component on to the first component, or plugging the second component into the first component. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein reducing the temperature of the container comprises cooling the container to a temperature of about 10° C. to about −20° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein reducing the temperature of the container comprises cooling the container by about 5° C. to about 140° C. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the container is configured to contain food, beverages, medicine, hazardous chemicals, air-reactive materials, sublimating materials, hygroscopic materials, aromatics, or any combination thereof.