Phase change materials, PCM, thermal management solutions. Phase-change material. A phase-change material (PCM) is a substance with a high heat of fusion which, melting and solidifying at a certain temperature, is capable of storing and releasing large amounts of energy. Heat is absorbed or released when the material changes from solid to liquid and vice versa; thus, PCMs are classified as latent heat storage (LHS) units.
Characteristics and classification[edit] PCMs latent heat storage can be achieved through solid–solid, solid–liquid, solid–gas and liquid–gas phase change. However, the only phase change used for PCMs is the solid–liquid change. GCSE Bitesize: Properties of materials. Smart Materials of 21st Century. Smart or intelligent materials are engineered to respond to their environment…These materials are embedded with their own sensors, actuators and control systems that are responsive to presence of light, temperature, pressure or other environmental conditions, and can cause the material surface to change its shape, texture, color or temperature.
When engineered at atomic or molecular scale, these materials can be made sensitive enough to human touch, just like human skin. They can even be made to heal themselves if fine cracks begin to appear inside the structure. Now, think of the products and applications that could be created out of these intelligent materials. You could have a dream mattress made to order, that will assume the most comfortable shape and texture as per your personal requirements. Www.europaforum.or.at/site/energy-housing.net/dateien/Vavan_Vuceljic_Paper.pdf. GCSE Bitesize: Lycra® and Thinsulate® Smart Materials. Science and technology have made amazing developments in the design of electronics and machinery using standard materials, which do not have particularly special properties (i.e. steel, aluminum, gold).
Imagine the range of possibilities, which exist for special materials that have properties scientists can manipulate. Some such materials have the ability to change shape or size simply by adding a little bit of heat, or to change from a liquid to a solid almost instantly when near a magnet; these materials are called smart materials.