Use of crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins as a storage material in latent heat stores

Claim 2

An improved process of absorbing and releasing thermal energy in a latent heat accumulator using a latent heat storage material, wherein the improvement comprises employing as the latent heat storage material a crystalline crosslinked synthetic resin selected from the group consisting of epoxide resins, polyurethane resins, polyester resins and mixtures thereof which contain, as crystallite-forming blocks, radicals of long-chain dicarboxylic acids or dialcohols of the formula I X.sup.1 --A--X.sup.2 (I) in which X 1 and X 2 each represent a --CO--O-- group or a --O-- group in which A denotes a substantially linear radical, in which polymethylene chains alternate regularly with ether oxygen atoms or carboxylic acid ester groups, and the quotient Z/Q, wherein Z is the number of CH 2 groups present in the recurring structural element of the radical A and Q is the number of oxygen bridges present in the recurring structural element of the radical A, must be at least 3 and wherein the total number of carbon atoms present in the radical A in alternating carbon chains is at least 30, and wherein the crosslinked crystalline synthetic resin has at least one crystallite melting point.

Claim 3

A process to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins which have only one crystallite melting point are used.

Claim 4

A process to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins which contain several, different types of crystallite having, accordingly, several crystallite melting points are used.

Claim 5

A process to claim 1, characterised in that epoxide resins are used.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked epoxide resins which are obtained by reacting polyester-dicarboxylic acids with polyepoxide compounds having at least 3 epoxide groups, about 1 equivalent of polycarboxylic acid being present per equivalent of epoxide compound, are used.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked epoxide resins which are obtained by reacting polyester-polycarboxylic acids having at least 3 carboxyl groups with epoxide compounds having at least 2 epoxide groups, about 1 equivalent of polyester-carboxylic acid being present per equivalent of epoxide compound, are used.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked epoxide resins which are obtained by reacting diepoxide compounds with polyester-dicarboxylic acids and with dicarboxylic acid anhydrides in an equivalent ratio of 1:0.4 to 0.9:1 to 0.6 are used.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked epoxide resins which are obtained by reacting polyester-polycarboxylic acids with epoxide compounds of the group comprising triglycidyl isocyanurate and triglycidyl compounds which contain one or more hydantoin groups or dihydrouracil groups, are used.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 8 wherein the crystalline, crosslinked epoxide resin is obtained by reacting a polyester-polycarboxylic acid with the compound of formula IV ##STR3##

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked epoxide resins (J), which are manufactured by reaction of epoxide compounds, containing two or more epoxide groups, (a) with polyester-polycarboxylic acids D, which essentially contain segments of the formula II --[O--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --0.CO--(CH.sub.2).sub.m --CO].sub.p --(II) in which n and m are identical or different and denote 2 or a higher number than 2, and to which the condition n+m=6 to 30 applies, and in which p denotes a number from 2 to 40, which, however, is sufficiently large that the segment contains at least 30--CH 2 --groups, and (b) with curing agents C, in a ratio such that 0.5 to 1.2 equivalents of polyester-polycarboxylic acid are present per equivalent of epoxide compound and zero to 0.6 equivalent of curing agent C are present per equivalent of epoxide compound, with the proviso that, in the cases in which only difunctional epoxide compounds and difunctional polyester-polycarboxylic acids D are employed, the epoxide groups must be present in excess and the reaction with a curing agent C is essential, are used.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked epoxide resins (K), which are manufactured by reaction of epoxide compounds, containing two or more epoxide groups. (a) with polyester-polycarboxylic acids D which essentially contain segments of the formula II --[O--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --O.CO--(CH.sub.2).sub.m --CO].sub.p --(II) in which n and m are identical or different and denote 2 or a higher number than 2, and to which the condition n+m=6 to 30 applies, and in which p denotes a number from 2 to 40, which, however, is sufficiently large that the segment contains at least 30--CH 2 --groups, and (b) with polyester-polycarboxylic acids E which essentially contain segments of the formula III --[O--(CH.sub.2).sub.s --O.CO--(CH.sub.2).sub.r --CO].sub.q --(III) in which s and r are identical or different and denote 2 or a higher number than 2, and to which the condition s+r+2 ≦n+m applies, and in which q represents a number from 2 to 40, which, however, is sufficiently large that the segment contains at least 30--CH 2 --groups, and (c) with curing agents C, in a ratio such that 0.5 to 1.2 equivalents of polyester-polycarboxylic acid are present per equivalent of epoxide compound, that 1/10 to 9/10 of these 0.5 to 1.2 equivalents are attributable to the polyester-polycarboxylic acid D and the remaining 9/10 to 1/10 to the polyester-polycarboxylic acid E, and that zero to 0.6 equivalent of curing agent C is present per equivalent of epoxide compound, with the proviso that, in the cases in which only difunctional epoxide compounds and difunctional polyester-polycarboxylic acids D and E are employed, the epoxide groups must be present in excess and the reaction with a curing agent C is essential are used.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that crystalline, crosslinked, elastomeric epoxide resins (L), which are manufactured by reaction of epoxide compounds, containing two or more epoxide groups, (a) with polyester-polycarboxylic acids A which essentially contain segments of the formula V --[O--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --O.CO--(CH.sub.2).sub.m --CO].sub.p --(V) in which n and m are identical or different and denote 2 or a higher number than 2, and to which the condition n+m=6 to 30 applies, and in which p denotes a number from 2 to 40 which, however, is sufficiently large that the segment contains at least 30 --CH 2 --groups, and (b) with polyester-polycarboxylic acids B which essentially contain segments of the formula VI --[O--R.sup.1 --O.CO--R.sup.2 --CO].sub.q -- (VI) in which R 1 and R 2 are identical or different and denote an alkylene radical with at least 2 C atoms in the chain and in which, per O bridge, an average of at least 3.5 and at most 30 C atoms, without taking into account the C atoms of the 'CO.O-- radicals, are present in the chain, and wherein the radicals R 1 or R 2 contain at least one alkyl group, or cycloalkyl group or one aryl group as a substituent for one H atom or one ring-forming optionally substituted alkylene group as a substituent for two H atoms of a chain, and in which q denotes a number from 2 to 40, which, however, is sufficiently large that the segment contains at least 30 C atoms, without taking into account the C atoms of the --CO.O--radicals in the chain, and (c) with curing agents C, in a ratio such that 0.5 to 1.2 equivalents of polyester-polycarboxylic acid are present per equivalent of epoxide compound, that 5/10 to 9/10 of these 0.5 to 1.2 equivalents are attributable to the polyester-polycarboxylic acid A and the remaining 5/10 to 1/10 to the polyester-polycarboxylic acid B, and that zero to 0.6 equivalent of curing agent C is present per equivalent of epoxide compound, with the proviso that, in the cases in which only difunctional epoxide compounds and difunctional polyester-polycarboxylic acids A and B are employed, the epoxide groups must be present in excess and the reaction with a curing agent C is essential, are used.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that the crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins are used in latent heat accumulators which serve for the storage and re-release of solar energy.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that the crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins are used in latent heat accumulators which serve for the storage and re-release of types of energy other than solar energy.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that the crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins are used in the form of foams.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that the crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins are used in the form of laminates.

Claim 18

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that the crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins are used in the form of a powder or a granules, which are filled into a container.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that those crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins which, after absorption of the heat of melting of the crystallites, are readily deformable and rubbery-elastic and are employed in the form of panels or mouldings.

Claim 20

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that the crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins are used in heat rectifiers, for controlling the absorption of solar energy in areas which are to be climatically controlled.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that the crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins are used in latent heat accumulators which serve to supply heat during the hot curing of curable synthetic resin mixtures in dental technology.

Claim 22

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that those crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins which contain nucleating agents, selected from phthalocyanines or α-naphthoic acid, are employed.

Claim 23

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that those crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins which contain fillers which assist the heat conductivity selected from aluminium, carbon black and graphite, are employed.

Claim 24

A process according to claim 1, characterised in that those crystalline, crosslinked synthetic resins which contain flame-proofing fillers selected from aluminium oxide trihydrate, antimony trioxide and chlorinated paraffins are employed.