01 Feedstock
Ore, monomer, fibre, mineral or scrap that can legally become Phase-change material.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength10
Heat resistance22
Fire performance24
Insulation52
Workability58
Circularity48
LessMore
Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick answers
Is Phase-change material non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: paraffin = combustible; salts vary. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does Phase-change material insulate?
Thermal mark 52/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: low-to-moderate; often needs fins or graphite.
What is the density band?
~0.8–1.6 g/cm³
How is it made?
Origin story: NASA / Telkes 1940s–70s; building PCM 2000s (United States / Germany).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 48/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
designed 18–28 °C for buildings
heat 22 · fire 24
Making Phase-change material is a chain: feedstock, conversion (NASA / Telkes 1940s–70s; building PCM 2000s), forming, heat, finish, install.
Skip a step and the properties chapter is describing a different object.
Process steps
02 Conversion
NASA / Telkes 1940s–70s; building PCM 2000s
03 Forming
Cast, spin, weave, sinter, foam, laminate or coat — the step that sets anisotropy.
04 Heat / cure
Temper, vulcanise, calcine or dry: skip it and the datasheet is fiction.
05 Finish
Coatings, sizings, facers, galvanizing, anodising, painting.
06 Install
Fasteners, adhesives, DFT, compression, dryness — site quality is a material property.
Routes
Primary
Virgin route around United States / Germany.
Recycled / secondary
Recycling exists but quality or energy often disappoints.
Specialty
High-spec grades leave the commodity mill.
Site-applied
Coatings, sprays, casts — the factory is sometimes a jobsite.
Diagrams
Phase-change material process path
Feedstock to installed product.
- Feed — in
- Convert — mill
- Form — shape
- Finish — coat
- Install — out
- Spec — code
- Scrap loop — rec
Phase-change material heat & fire
Energy in, class out.
- Heat — in
- Phase-change — mat
- λ / char — out
- Ignition — fire
- Euroclass — class
- Assembly — sys
Hard limits
Envelope
Melting/softening designed 18–28 °C for buildings; conductivity low-to-moderate; often needs fins or graphite.
Environment
Moisture, UV, chlorides, alkalis or oxygen — pick the one that actually kills Phase-change material.
Code
Fire class paraffin = combustible; salts vary is a starting letter, not a wall rating.
Process energy and scrap quality belong in the carbon passport, not in a footnote.
Keep exploring
More in Thermal
🪨
Mineral wool
Melted rock or glass spun into A1 batts — the default non-combustible insulation of codes.
Overall 69 🧽Polyurethane foam
The low-λ organic foam of fridges and buildings — excellent insulation, a fire design problem unless PIR and coverings are honest.
Overall 46 📦Vacuum insulated panel
A sealed vacuum sandwich — λ around 0.004–0.008 W/m·K until the envelope leaks.
Overall 44