Method and system for maintaining temperature-sensitive materials within a target temperature range for an extended time. In one embodiment, the system keeps materials within a temperature range of +2° C. to +8° C. and includes an insulated container, a product box, ice packs, and organic phase-change material (PCM) packs. The ice packs are preconditioned to a very low temperature, such as −20° C. The organic PCM packs do not require preconditioning and may be kept at room temperature. In use, the frozen ice packs and the warm organic PCM packs may be loaded into the insulated container, together with a payload in the product box. Preferably, the frozen ice packs are sandwiched between a pair of organic PCM packs on each face of the product box. The masses of ice and organic PCM are selected so that, upon thermal equilibration, the ice and organic PCM are within the target temperature range.

A heat-storage material that provides a sufficiently large amount of thermal energy as a latent-heat storage material including a semiclathrate hydrate and that improves hysteresis between the solidifying temperature and the melting starting temperature and a refrigerator and a cooling container that include the heat-storage material are provided. The heat-storage material that changes phase at a predetermined temperature includes water, a main agent including a quaternary ammonium salt that forms a semiclathrate hydrate, a pH adjuster that maintains alkaline properties, and a nucleating agent that generates a cation that exhibits positive hydration. In such an aqueous solution maintained to be alkaline, the nucleating agent becomes a nucleus in solidification, and thus, the temperature difference between the solidifying temperature and the melting temperature can be decreased.

A heat-storage material that provides a sufficiently large amount of thermal energy as a latent-heat storage material including a semiclathrate hydrate and that improves hysteresis between the solidifying temperature and the melting starting temperature and a refrigerator and a cooling container that include the heat-storage material are provided. The heat-storage material that changes phase at a predetermined temperature includes water, a main agent including a quaternary ammonium salt that forms a semiclathrate hydrate, a pH adjuster that maintains alkaline properties, and a nucleating agent that generates a cation that exhibits positive hydration. In such an aqueous solution maintained to be alkaline, the nucleating agent becomes a nucleus in solidification, and thus, the temperature difference between the solidifying temperature and the melting temperature can be decreased.

The present application is directed to cooling containers that rely on refrigerants. The cooling container is able to efficiently keep items cool by adjusting the input and output of cool air inside the cooling container. For example, storage area no. 1 can keep the refrigerants used for keeping insulated items cool. Plank 1 is parallel to the storage area 1. Plank 2 is parallel to plank 1 and storage area no. 2 storing insulated items therein. The planks 1 and 2 are perpendicularly placed above and below a horizontal plane. Planks 1 and 2 can be adjusted to be higher or lower, so as to adjust the distance therebetween. This allows more efficient control of the airflow of the cool air before the air goes into storage area 2.

The present application is directed to cooling containers that rely on refrigerants. The cooling container is able to efficiently keep items cool by adjusting the input and output of cool air inside the cooling container. For example, storage area no. 1 can keep the refrigerants used for keeping insulated items cool. Plank 1 is parallel to the storage area 1. Plank 2 is parallel to plank 1 and storage area no. 2 storing insulated items therein. The planks 1 and 2 are perpendicularly placed above and below a horizontal plane. Planks 1 and 2 can be adjusted to be higher or lower, so as to adjust the distance therebetween. This allows more efficient control of the airflow of the cool air before the air goes into storage area 2.

The invention relates to a process for providing a transport container system with a container internal temperature within a target range. The transport container system has a container having a receiving space wherein the temperature in the receiving space of the container is the container internal temperature and at least two PCM elements which can be removed from the container and inserted into the container. All PCM elements have the same phase change material. At least one first PCM element is tempered outside the container in such a way that the phase change material of this first PCM element is in a completely solid state. At least one second PCM element is tempered outside the container in such a way that the phase change material of this second PCM element is in a completely liquid state. The tempered PCM elements are arranged in the container. The tempering and the PCM elements are configured in such a way that after the PCM elements have been arranged in the container, the container internal temperature reaches a value within the target range.

The invention also relates to a suitable transport container system for transporting a temperature-sensitive object in a target range of a container's internal temperature.

A cold storage pack, a method of transporting an object at low temperature, and a method of manufacturing the cold storage pack are provided in a film pack of cold storage material. The film pack of cold storage material can be propped up with on a certain side thereof as a bottom, and even when it is propped up, the uniformity of the filling density of the latent heat cold storage material is higher. The cold storage pack includes: an encasing section composed of films facing each other and filled with a latent heat storage material therein; a linear external sealing section attached to a periphery of the encasing section to prevent the latent heat storage material from leaking out; and at least one linear internal sealing section extending inwards of the encasing section and adhering internal upper and lower faces of the encasing section together.

A cold storage pack, a method of transporting an object at low temperature, and a method of manufacturing the cold storage pack are provided in a film pack of cold storage material. The film pack of cold storage material can be propped up with on a certain side thereof as a bottom, and even when it is propped up, the uniformity of the filling density of the latent heat cold storage material is higher. The cold storage pack includes: an encasing section composed of films facing each other and filled with a latent heat storage material therein; a linear external sealing section attached to a periphery of the encasing section to prevent the latent heat storage material from leaking out; and at least one linear internal sealing section extending inwards of the encasing section and adhering internal upper and lower faces of the encasing section together.

A foamable composition includes a blowing agent, a foamable polymer or a precursor composition thereof, and a nucleating agent. The nucleating agent includes a compound having structural formula (I) R.sup.1SO.sub.2R.sup.2(SO.sub.2R.sup.3).sub.n (I) where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are each independently a fluoroalkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms that is linear, branched, or cyclic and optionally contain at least one catenated ether oxygen atom or a trivalent nitrogen atom, and n is 0 or 1.

A foamable composition includes a blowing agent, a foamable polymer or a precursor composition thereof, and a nucleating agent. The nucleating agent includes a compound having structural formula (I) R.sup.1SO.sub.2R.sup.2(SO.sub.2R.sup.3).sub.n (I) where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are each independently a fluoroalkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms that is linear, branched, or cyclic and optionally contain at least one catenated ether oxygen atom or a trivalent nitrogen atom, and n is 0 or 1.