Sumitomo Chemical's new resin heat storage material, HEATORAGE®, was adopted in a sheet-type phase change material of a building materials manufacturer

Jun. 18, 2020

This is to announce that HEATORAGE^®, a resin heat storage material developed by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., has been adopted in a sheet-type phase change material (PCM) launched by a building materials manufacturer. This is the first time that any product that uses HEATORAGE^® is being sold and deployed in a society.

HEATORAGE^® is a resin designed to absorb or release the latent heat at a specified temperature range from 20°C to 50°C, using phase change^*, and it can be easily molded by extrusion, injection, and spinning. As its solid form can be maintained within a specified storage temperature range even after being molded, HEATORAGE^® does not have to be placed and sealed in containers (in the form of aluminum packs, plastic containers, or capsules) to avoid leakage at the time of liquefaction after heat storage, as would otherwise be the case of conventional low molecular heat storage materials. This allows a high degree of freedom in processing, including cutting and nailing of molded heat storage materials.

The use of PCM is generally limited to the winter season. Meanwhile, issues we have in summer are that, since the daytime temperature of the rooftop surface is considerably higher than the outdoor air temperature, it leads to a rise in room temperature, and that, once the heat enters a room, it tends to stay there during the night. In recent years, the building materials field saw a growing demand for energy saving and increased comfort in houses. Against this backdrop, Sumitomo Chemical and the building materials manufacturer have examined ways to use HEATORAGE^® as a material to overcome the lack of heat insulation ability of roofs in summer, one of the weak points of Japanese houses. As a result, the companies have discovered that sandwiching PCM between plastic foam insulation materials (roofing materials) can dramatically reduce indoor penetration of heat at the peak time of summer solar radiation, lessen the cooling load of air conditioning, and save energy throughout the day. This discovery led to the adoption of HEATORAGE^® in a PCM product.

HEATORAGE^® is expected to contribute to energy saving in various fields and more comfortable daily living. For example, a sheet type or fiber form of HEATORAGE^® used in car roofs and interior materials can save energy and improve comfort, just as it does in roof materials for houses. As for apparel applications, HEATORAGE^® can maintain pleasant temperatures for wearers of the clothing, thereby sustaining comfort.

Sumitomo Chemical will continue to provide solutions that can help achieve a sustainable society by cultivating potential needs of the market and by developing innovative products and technologies that can lead to the deployment of new applications beyond the existing business framework.

* Phase change refers to the changes in the state of substances, which occur in association with heat absorption and release. 

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