Aerogel composites including phase change materials

Abstract

The present disclosure can provide aerogel compositions which have a thermal storage capacity, and which are durable and easy to handle. The present disclosure can provide aerogel compositions which include PCM coatings, particle mixtures, or PCM materials confined within the porous network of an aerogel composition. The present disclosure can provide methods for producing aerogel compositions by coating an aerogel composition with PCM materials, by forming particle mixtures with PCM materials, or by confining PCM materials within the porous network of an aerogel composition.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An aerogel composition comprising aerogel material and phase change material. 
     
     
         2 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the aerogel material is coated with a coating material, and wherein the coating material comprises a phase change material. 
     
     
         3 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one layer of reflective material. 
     
     
         4 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the aerogel comprises a particulate aerogel material. 
     
     
         5 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcing material, wherein the reinforcing material comprises a fibrous reinforcing material or a foam reinforcing material. 
     
     
         6 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is an unencapsulated phase change material. 
     
     
         7 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the aerogel material comprises a gel framework and a corresponding network of pores within the gel framework, wherein the phase change material is confined within the network of pores within the aerogel material. 
     
     
         9 . The aerogel composition of  claim 7 , wherein the phase change material is nanoconfined within the network of pores within the aerogel material. 
     
     
         10 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the aerogel composition has a thermal conductivity of 25 mW/m-K or less at 37.5° C. and ambient pressure. 
     
     
         11 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material in the aerogel composite comprises 50 wt % or less of the total solids. 
     
     
         12 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material in the aerogel composite comprises 30 wt % or less of the total solids; and wherein aerogel composition has a thermal conductivity of 25 mW/m-K or less at 37.5° C. and ambient pressure. 
     
     
         13 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the aerogel composite comprises 50 wt % or less of the total solids; and wherein aerogel composition has a weight loss of less than 10% when heated at 40° C. for 150 hours. 
     
     
         14 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is selected from the group consisting of: paraffins; petroleum waxes; fatty acids; fatty acid esters; organic acids; polyethylene glycol; polyethylenes; carbohydrates; Naphthalenes; glycerin; metals, inorganic salts; inorganic hydrated salts; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the aerogel composition has a resilience of more than 25%. 
     
     
         16 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more layers of a barrier material. 
     
     
         17 . The aerogel composition of  claim 16 , wherein the barrier material is impermeable to the phase change material in a fluid state. 
     
     
         18 . The aerogel composition of  claim 16 , wherein the barrier material comprises a foil. 
     
     
         19 . The aerogel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the aerogel composition is encased within a pouch. 
     
     
         20 . The aerogel composition of  claim 19 , wherein pouch comprises a foil. 
     
     
         21 . A gel precursor solution comprising gel precursor materials and phase change materials. 
     
     
         22 . The gel precursor solution of  claim 21 , wherein the phase change material is an unencapsulated phase change material. 
     
     
         23 . The gel precursor solution of  claim 21 , wherein the phase change materials are solubilized or emulsified within the precursor solution. 
     
     
         24 . The gel precursor solution of  claim 21 , wherein the phase change material is selected from the group consisting of: paraffins; petroleum waxes; fatty acids; fatty acid esters; organic acids; polyethylene glycol; polyethylenes; carbohydrates; Naphthalenes; glycerin; metals, inorganic salts; inorganic hydrated salts; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         25 . A method of preparing an aerogel composition, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a precursor solution comprising gel precursor materials and a solvent;   b) incorporating a phase change material into the precursor solution;   c) allowing the gel precursor materials in the precursor solution to transition into a gel composition comprising a gel framework and a corresponding network of pores within the gel framework, such that the phase change material is confined within the network of pores within the gel composition;   d) extracting at least a portion of the solvent from the gel composition to obtain an aerogel composition.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the phase change material is an unencapsulated phase change material. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises: incorporating a reinforcement material into the aerogel composition by combining the reinforcement material with the precursor solution either before or during the transition of the gel precursor materials in the precursor solution into the gel composition. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises processing the phase change material before, during, or after incorporation into the gel precursor solution, to produce a phase change material which can be dispersed within the gel precursor solution or within the gel composition. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein processing the phase change material comprises heating, mixing, emulsification with a surfactant, surface functionalization, pH modification, molecular charge modification, hydration or dehydration. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the phase change material is selected from the group consisting of: paraffins; petroleum waxes; fatty acids; fatty acid esters; organic acids; polyethylene glycol; polyethylenes; carbohydrates; Naphthalenes; glycerin; metals, inorganic salts; inorganic hydrated salts; and combinations thereof.