Roofing Products Containing Phase Change Materials

Abstract

A solar heat responsive roofing material includes a continuous phase and dispersed discontinuous phase having a phase transition at a temperature between about 50 degrees Celsius and about 95 degrees Celsius.

1 . A solar heat responsive roofing material comprising:
 a) a continuous phase; and   b) a discontinuous phase dispersed in the continuous phase, the discontinuous phase having a phase transition at a temperature between about 50 degrees Celsius and about 95 degrees Celsius, the discontinuous phase comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer   
     
     
         2 . Roofing material according to  claim 1  wherein the phase transition temperature is between about 60 degrees Celsius and about 85 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         3 . Roofing material according to  claim 1  wherein the discontinuous phase has a phase transition enthalpy of at least about 100 kilojoules per kg. 
     
     
         4 . Roofing material according to  claim 1  wherein the discontinuous phase constitutes at least ten percent by weight of the roofing material. 
     
     
         5 . Roofing material according to  claim 1  wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl ethyl ether), poly(vinyl n-butyl ether) and polychloroprene. 
     
     
         6 . Roofing material according to  claim 1  wherein the roof includes a base sheet having a bituminous coating, the continuous phase comprising the bituminous coating. 
     
     
         7 . Roofing material according to  claim 1  wherein the discontinuous phase includes a plurality of fibers comprising phase change material. 
     
     
         8 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material comprising:
 a) a bituminous base sheet; and   b) a plurality of roofing granules, the roofing granules including a latent-heat storage material having a phase transition at a temperature between about 50 degrees Celsius and about 95 degrees Celsius, the latent-heat storage material comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer.   
     
     
         9 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 15  wherein the phase transition temperature is between about 60 degrees Celsius and about 85 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         10 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 8  wherein the heat storage material has a phase transition enthalpy of at least 100 kilojoules per kg. 
     
     
         11 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 8  wherein the heat storage material constitutes at least ten percent by weight of the roofing material. 
     
     
         12 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 8  wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl ethyl ether), poly(vinyl n-butyl ether) and polychloroprene. 
     
     
         13 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 8  wherein the heat storage material includes a plurality of fibers comprising phase change material. 
     
     
         14 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material comprising:
 a) at least one solar-heat reflective material; and   b) at least one latent-heat storage material, the at least one latent-heat storage material having a phase transition at a temperature between about 50 degrees Celsius and about 95 degrees Celsius, the at least one latent-heat storage material comprising a thermoplastic polymer,   wherein the roofing material includes a continuous phase, and a discontinuous phase dispersed in the continuous phase, the discontinuous phase including the latent-heat storage material.   
     
     
         15 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 14  wherein the phase transition temperature is between about 60 degrees Celsius and about 85 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         16 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 14  wherein the latent-heat storage material has a phase transition enthalpy of at least about 100 kilojoules per kg. 
     
     
         17 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 14  wherein the latent-heat storage material constitutes at least ten percent by weight of the roofing material. 
     
     
         18 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 14  wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(vinyl ethyl ether), poly(vinyl n-butyl ether) and polychloroprene. 
     
     
         19 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 14  wherein the at least one solar heat reflective roofing material has greater than 40% total reflectance between 700 nm to 2500 nm of solar radiation. 
     
     
         20 . A solar heat-responsive roofing material according to  claim 14  further including a reflective coating, with solar-heat reflective material being dispersed in the reflective coating.