Buildings
Structure, lining, insulation or finish depending on family.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength10
Heat resistance22
Fire performance24
Insulation52
Workability58
Circularity48
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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
Phase-change material earns its keep in systems: a beam, a batt, a fibre blend, a coated steel — rarely a lone coupon.
Products below are cultural landmarks as much as SKUs.
Sectors
Transport
Mass, fire and fatigue rewrite the grade list.
Energy
Heat, voltage and hydrogen compatibility.
Consumer
The volume that pays for the mill.
Medical / food
When allowed — extractables and allergies matter.
Defence / safety
Ballistics, FR clothing, fire stops.
Products
Maria Telkes
1948
Glauber’s salt
historic
Micronal board
2000s
Ice pack
20th c.–
NASA PCM vest
1990s–
Cold-chain box
2010s–
Paraffin candle physics
historic
Battery PCM pad
2020s
Pairings
mineral-wool
Blocks heat flow; PCM stores it.
vacuum-insulation
Thickness killer; no latent trick.
gypsum-board
The usual PCM carrier in interiors.
aerogel
Ultra-low λ without a melt plateau.
If the pairing is wrong, the material will be blamed for a system fault.
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