Advanced copper-PCM composites for thermal management applications

Copper-PCM composites can be manufactured by powder metallurgical technologies. Porous copper structures with 40 - 60vol.-% pore volume content were prepared and subsequently infiltrated with different liquid PCMs (Rubitherm - RT58 and sodium acetate trihydrate - NaAc). The high latent heat of NaAc cause remarkable 'capacitive thermal properties' in the composites Cu/NaAc/X. Cu/NaAc/X seems to be an interesting material to avoid strong thermal fluctuation caused by cyclic switching operations of electronics. Cu/NaAc/X will be suitable to realize a constant operation temperature in order to prevent from thermal strains between the electronic component and the heat sink.