Cold Storage Composition for Stable -75°C to -66°C Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold storage material compositions have limitations in maintaining temperature control for articles requiring temperatures below -66°C, particularly due to issues with melting temperature range and handling safety, especially with the use of lithium chloride which poses toxicity concerns.
Innovation Solution
A cold storage material composition containing specific amounts of lithium ions and bromide ions relative to water, within the range of 8.1 to 12.6 mol and 7.6 to 14.6 mol respectively, which maintains a melting temperature between -75°C and -66°C, offering improved temperature retention and safer handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If dry ice is used as a cold storage material to achieve temperatures of -30°C or lower, then the control temperature requirement is met, but the material expands in volume during sublimation and is treated as a hazardous material, limiting the loaded amount
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using aqueous inorganic salt solutions (calcium chloride, sodium chloride, magnesium chloride) instead of dry ice, adjusting concentrations to achieve the required melting points while avoiding hazardous material classification and excessive volume expansion during phase transition
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive inorganic salt solutions that can be easily replaced and do not require special hazardous material handling procedures, making them more practical for temporary cold storage applications compared to dry ice
2Temperature
If conventional cold storage material compositions are used to achieve melting temperatures below -66°C, then the temperature control range is extended, but the compositions contain high concentrations of lithium chloride which poses toxicity concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition by reducing lithium chloride concentration to 5 mol% or less and increasing the proportion of safer inorganic salts (calcium chloride, sodium chloride, magnesium chloride), thereby achieving the required melting temperature of -66°C or lower while minimizing toxicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite cold storage material composition combining multiple inorganic salts (calcium chloride, sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and limited lithium chloride) with water, where each component contributes to achieving the target melting temperature while maintaining safety through optimized ratios
3Temperature
If the amount of lithium chloride is increased to achieve lower melting temperatures, then the temperature control range is extended, but the chemical risk and toxicity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters by capping lithium chloride at 5 mol% or less while adjusting the concentrations of calcium chloride (10-30 mol%), sodium chloride (5-20 mol%), and magnesium chloride (5-20 mol%) to achieve the desired melting temperature range without excessive chemical risk
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition effectively maintains a constant temperature for an extended period in the specified range, providing a safer and more efficient alternative to traditional cold storage materials like dry ice, with enhanced -78°C freezing stability and reduced chemical risk.
Implementation Method 1
a cold storage material, which has been frozen and solidified in advance, is placed in a container having a thermal insulation property to prepare a temperature keeping container and an article housed in the temperature keeping container is transported or stored in a state in which the temperature of the article is maintained by using latent heat of melting of the cold storage material
Implementation Method 2
a cold storage material composition containing 6 mol of calcium chloride (5.6 mol % relative to the total molar quantity of the cold storage material composition) and 2 mol of sodium chloride (1.9 mol % relative to the total molar quantity of the cold storage material composition) relative to 100 mol of water
Implementation Method 3
dry ice expands in volume when sublimating (phase transition from a solid to a gas)
Data Source
AI summary
A cold storage material composition that allows temperature maintenance of a temperature control target article at a constant temperature for an extended period of time in various control temperature ranges in a range of −75.0° C. to −66.0° C. and having excellent handling, and a technique for using the cold storage material composition are provided. The cold storage material composition contains lithium ions and bromide ions in respective specific amounts, relative to 100 mol of water, and the cold storage material composition has a melting temperature in a range of −75.0° C. to −66.0° C.