Novel PVA-based foams for cold chain logistics with high efficiency

Abstract

The rapid advancement of fresh e-commerce has driven the growth of the cold chain logistics, which spurs a significant demand for the upgrading of the phase change material (PCM) ensuring the transported items maintain at the required low temperature. This paper reported a novel form-stable phase change material poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) -based foams (FPCMPFs) with high efficiency fabricated by combining thermal foaming of PVA and in-situ polymerization of polyacrylic acid (PAA). The constructed double network structure improved the water storage to as high as 85.81 wt%, and enhanced the mechanical strength to maintain the shape stability even under 60 % compressive strain, which endowed FPCMPFs with good cold storage performance with high latent heat of 309.6 J/g, and prevented the water leakage in use. 65 g FPCMPFs located in a 7.0 × 7.0 × 10.5 cm box extended the storage time of the precooled grapes at -1-0 °C keeping at 5 °C from 28.7 min to 229.1 min, demonstrating the significant prospects for application in the cold chain logistics.