What Is PCM (Phase Change Material)? Principles, Types & Advantages for Electronic Heat Dissipation

You may not be very familiar with PCM. This article will walk you through the basics of phase change materials. PCM stands for Phase Change Material. It absorbs or releases a large quantity of latent heat during a phase transition, so as to realize heating or cooling effects. Most PCMs switch between solid and liquid states. Under special conditions, some can also transition from one crystalline form to another crystalline state with higher or lower energy levels.

The latent heat of fusion consumed when a phase change material changes its physical state is far greater than its sensible heat. A familiar example in daily life is ice and water, which serve as a typical and effective phase change material. The heat energy needed to melt ice into water is substantially higher than the heat required to raise the temperature of the same mass of water by 1°C.

Phase change materials fall into two major categories: organic PCMs and inorganic PCMs. Organic PCMs are the type widely adopted for heat dissipation scenarios. Compared with inorganic PCMs (such as hydrated salts), organic PCMs offer multiple merits. They exhibit no obvious supercooling effect during solidification and melt evenly when heated. These materials feature self-nucleating characteristics, excellent compatibility with common structural materials, stable chemical properties at ambient temperature, and good safety performance. They will not cause damage or corrosion to delicate electronic components during application.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid direct skin contact during handling. Keep fire prevention measures in place for storage.