A system for the production of molten salt. The system can have a preparation tank configured to melt raw salts, and a bubbler system in communication with the preparation tank. The bubbler can be configured to maintain vacuum conditions within the preparation tank and to remove gases from the preparation tank. A method for producing molten salt includes a step of providing a system for the production of molten salt. The system can have a preparation tank configured to melt raw salts, and a bubbler system in communication with the preparation tank. The bubbler can be configured to maintain vacuum conditions within the preparation tank and to remove gases from the preparation tank. Then, the method can include inserting raw salt into the preparation tank, and heating the raw salt to form molten salt. Then filtering the molten salt, and storing the molten salt.

Provided herein are compositions comprising at least one estolide compound of formula:

##STR00001##

in which n is an integer equal to or greater than 0; m is an integer equal to or greater than 1; R.sub.1, independently for each occurrence, is selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, independently for each occurrence, are selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched. Also provided are uses of the compositions described herein.

Provided herein are compositions comprising at least one estolide compound of formula:

##STR00001##

in which n is an integer equal to or greater than 0; m is an integer equal to or greater than 1; R.sub.1, independently for each occurrence, is selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, independently for each occurrence, are selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched. Also provided are uses of the compositions described herein.

The present disclosure relates to a radiative cooling device which is sensitive to the ambient temperature and in which the emissivity changes depending on the infrared wavelength range and emission angle, and a method of cooling an object using the radiative cooling device.

A heat sink may comprise a core body having a phase change material cavity enclosed therein; and a phase change material disposed within the phase change material cavity comprising a paraffin wax and/or a fatty acid ester.

A refrigerant composition includes about 90-92 wt % difluoromethane and about 8-10 wt % pentafluoroethane. The refrigerant composition is formed from all recycled materials, and the refrigerant composition has a net global warming potential of about 0. A method of preparing the refrigerant composition includes injecting a mixture of recovered refrigerants into the center of a distillation column, the mixture of injected refrigerants being difluoromethane, pentafluoroethane and chlorodifluoromethane, removing from the top of the distillation column a refrigerant composition of about 90-92 wt % difluoromethane and about 8-10 wt % pentafluoroethane, and removing chlorodifluoromethane from a bottom of the distillation column.

A refrigerant composition includes about 90-92 wt % difluoromethane and about 8-10 wt % pentafluoroethane. The refrigerant composition is formed from all recycled materials, and the refrigerant composition has a net global warming potential of about 0. A method of preparing the refrigerant composition includes injecting a mixture of recovered refrigerants into the center of a distillation column, the mixture of injected refrigerants being difluoromethane, pentafluoroethane and chlorodifluoromethane, removing from the top of the distillation column a refrigerant composition of about 90-92 wt % difluoromethane and about 8-10 wt % pentafluoroethane, and removing chlorodifluoromethane from a bottom of the distillation column.

In one embodiment, a phase change material is encapsulated by forming a phase change material pellet, coating the pellet with flexible material, heating the coated pellet to melt the phase change material, wherein the phase change materials expands and air within the pellet diffuses out through the flexible material, and cooling the coated pellet to solidify the phase change material.

In one embodiment, a phase change material is encapsulated by forming a phase change material pellet, coating the pellet with flexible material, heating the coated pellet to melt the phase change material, wherein the phase change materials expands and air within the pellet diffuses out through the flexible material, and cooling the coated pellet to solidify the phase change material.

A heat storage unit includes: a heat storage material that contains water and high polymers that exhibit hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity depending on a temperature; a heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between a heating fluid and the heat storage material to heat the heat storage material and store heat in the heat storage material, and causes heat exchange to be performed between a heat utilization fluid and the heat storage material to receive heat from the heat storage material and cause heat to be transferred from the heat storage material; and a container that is filled with the heat storage material and houses the heat exchanger.