A method for producing a form-stable phase-change material to nucleate sugar alcohols includes directionally freezing a slurry of solid chitosan and solvent and additives, providing a frozen slurry including unidirectional pillars of frozen solvent that force suspended solid particles into interstices, exposing the frozen slurry to conditions causing sublimation of the solvent of the frozen slurry to remove frozen solvent and provide a body having pillars of vacancies therein, sintering the body to provide a scaffold including the pillars of vacancies therein, graphitizing the scaffold by heating in argon, treating the scaffold with aqueous base, and adding a molten sugar alcohol phase-change material to the scaffold such that the molten phase-change material is drawn into the pillars of vacancies by capillary action to provide the form-stable phase-change material having reduced hysteresis of the melting point of the sugar alcohol phase-change material.

A method for producing a form-stable phase-change material to nucleate sugar alcohols includes directionally freezing a slurry of solid chitosan and solvent and additives, providing a frozen slurry including unidirectional pillars of frozen solvent that force suspended solid particles into interstices, exposing the frozen slurry to conditions causing sublimation of the solvent of the frozen slurry to remove frozen solvent and provide a body having pillars of vacancies therein, sintering the body to provide a scaffold including the pillars of vacancies therein, graphitizing the scaffold by heating in argon, treating the scaffold with aqueous base, and adding a molten sugar alcohol phase-change material to the scaffold such that the molten phase-change material is drawn into the pillars of vacancies by capillary action to provide the form-stable phase-change material having reduced hysteresis of the melting point of the sugar alcohol phase-change material.

Disclosed herein is a method of: placing between a cooling element and an opposing surface a slurry of: a dielectric powder containing barium titanate, a dispersant, a binder, and water; maintaining the cooling element at a temperature below the opposing surface to cause the formation of ice platelets perpendicular to the surface of the cooling element and having the powder between the platelets; subliming the ice platelets to create voids; sintering the powder to form the dielectric material; and filling the voids with the polymeric material. The process can produce a composite having: a sintered dielectric material of barium titanate and platelets of a polymeric material embedded in the dielectric material. Each of the platelets is perpendicular to a surface of the composite.

Disclosed herein is a method of: placing between a cooling element and an opposing surface a slurry of: a dielectric powder containing barium titanate, a dispersant, a binder, and water; maintaining the cooling element at a temperature below the opposing surface to cause the formation of ice platelets perpendicular to the surface of the cooling element and having the powder between the platelets; subliming the ice platelets to create voids; sintering the powder to form the dielectric material; and filling the voids with the polymeric material. The process can produce a composite having: a sintered dielectric material of barium titanate and platelets of a polymeric material embedded in the dielectric material. Each of the platelets is perpendicular to a surface of the composite.

Provided herein are methods for making a freeze-cast material having a internal structure, the methods comprising steps of: determining the internal structure of the material, the internal structure having a plurality of pores, wherein: each of the plurality of pores has directionality; and the step of determining comprises: selecting a temperature gradient and a freezing front velocity to obtain the determined internal structure based on the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity; directionally freezing a liquid formulation to form a frozen solid, the step of directionally freezing comprising: controlling the temperature gradient and the freezing front velocity to match the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity during directionally freezing; wherein the liquid formulation comprises at least one solvent and at least one dispersed species; and subliming the at least one solvent out of the frozen solid to form the material.

Provided herein are methods for making a freeze-cast material having a internal structure, the methods comprising steps of: determining the internal structure of the material, the internal structure having a plurality of pores, wherein: each of the plurality of pores has directionality; and the step of determining comprises: selecting a temperature gradient and a freezing front velocity to obtain the determined internal structure based on the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity; directionally freezing a liquid formulation to form a frozen solid, the step of directionally freezing comprising: controlling the temperature gradient and the freezing front velocity to match the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity during directionally freezing; wherein the liquid formulation comprises at least one solvent and at least one dispersed species; and subliming the at least one solvent out of the frozen solid to form the material.

Provided herein are methods for making a freeze-cast material having a internal structure, the methods comprising steps of: determining the internal structure of the material, the internal structure having a plurality of pores, wherein: each of the plurality of pores has directionality; and the step of determining comprises: selecting a temperature gradient and a freezing front velocity to obtain the determined internal structure based on the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity; directionally freezing a liquid formulation to form a frozen solid, the step of directionally freezing comprising: controlling the temperature gradient and the freezing front velocity to match the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity during directionally freezing; wherein the liquid formulation comprises at least one solvent and at least one dispersed species; and subliming the at least one solvent out of the frozen solid to form the material.

Provided herein are methods for making a freeze-cast material having a internal structure, the methods comprising steps of: determining the internal structure of the material, the internal structure having a plurality of pores, wherein: each of the plurality of pores has directionality; and the step of determining comprises: selecting a temperature gradient and a freezing front velocity to obtain the determined internal structure based on the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity; directionally freezing a liquid formulation to form a frozen solid, the step of directionally freezing comprising: controlling the temperature gradient and the freezing front velocity to match the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity during directionally freezing; wherein the liquid formulation comprises at least one solvent and at least one dispersed species; and subliming the at least one solvent out of the frozen solid to form the material.

A method for producing a form-stable phase-change material includes freezing a slurry of solid and solvent to provide a frozen slurry, exposing the frozen slurry to conditions causing sublimation of the frozen solvent to remove solvent and provide a body having vacancies therein, sintering the body to provide a scaffold, and adding a molten phase-change material to the scaffold to provide the form-stable phase-change material. The same scaffold when ground acts as a phase-change nucleating aid.

A method for producing a form-stable phase-change material includes freezing a slurry of solid and solvent to provide a frozen slurry, exposing the frozen slurry to conditions causing sublimation of the frozen solvent to remove solvent and provide a body having vacancies therein, sintering the body to provide a scaffold, and adding a molten phase-change material to the scaffold to provide the form-stable phase-change material. The same scaffold when ground acts as a phase-change nucleating aid.