Phase Change Material Integration in Thermal Liners
topic
Phase change material microcapsules incorporated into thermal liner fabrics or nonwoven batting store thermal energy by melting during heat exposure and release stored energy as latent heat during cooling, providing a temporary thermal buffering effect that extends the time available before heat transmitted through the composite reaches burn injury thresholds, with PCM systems absorbing additional heat flux above the passive insulation value of the liner construction during the melting phase transition.
Role
Provides supplementary thermal protection during the critical brief high-heat-flux exposures of flashover conditions by absorbing additional heat above the passive insulation value through the latent heat of PCM melting, delaying skin burn injury onset during peak exposure events, with PCM integration being an active area of research for improving firefighter clothing performance at extreme heat flux conditions without the bulk and weight penalty of additional passive insulation.