Encyclopedia of Thermal Packaging: Phase Change Materials for Thermal Management of Electronic Components

This volume is dedicated to systems that utilize Phase-Change Materials (PCM) - a name commonly used when solid-liquid phase change is involved and the latent enthalpy serves for heat storage or removal. These materials have been around in thermal applications for about half a century, and their use has known its ups and downs over the years. It appears that the idea to use PCM for thermal management was conceived in the 1960s in conjunction with space exploration. Today, they are widely considered in such diverse fields as thermal energy storage, thermal control in buildings, and thermal management of various devices, including photovoltaic panels and batteries of electric vehicles.