Phase change material cellulosic composites for the cold storage of perishable products: From material preparation to computational evaluation

Warm temperature spikes represent one of the main spoilage causes of perishable good-stuffs. The development of packaging materials with thermal buffering properties represents a powerful solution to address the problems arising from an uncontrollable interruption during cold-chain logistic.
Here, we propose the use of phase change material (PCM) composites for the design of cold storage packaging. Two different concentrations (25 and 50% w/w) of commercially available micro-encapsulated PCM were homogeneously dispersed in paper matrix via conventional negative filtration techniques. The possibility of obtaining composites with different latent heats in the 4-10 degrees C range has been demonstrated via differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Heat transmission tests, simulating the heating processes typical of the removal from a cold room, were performed on a suitable multilayer configuration. The obtained materials show the ability to maintain the inner temperature for a duration up to 10-fold longer in time, when compared to a similar cellulose material with a thickness of 2 cm. Experimental results have been numerically assessed by considering the material thermal parameters as homogeneous.
Both experimental and computational approaches here discussed offer an easy way for the design of micro-encapsulated PCM-cellulose composite as building blocks in cold storage packaging design.