Drying using phase change material (PCM)

A method for drying a substrate, comprising:

• layering a temperature sensitive material on a substrate, the substrate having a moisture content and adapted for moisture removal to form a planar medium the temperature sensitive material selected based on a temperature at which the temperature sensitive material transitions to a solid for extracting latent heat from the temperature sensitive material for expelling the moisture content and accelerating drying of the substrate;
• disposing the substrate adjacent to a plurality of heat transfer elements;
• heating the layered substrate to a predetermined temperature, the predetermined temperature based on a specific heat of the temperature sensitive material;
• and
• advancing the layered substrate through pocket ventilation regions between the heat transfer elements, the pocket ventilation regions permitting drying of the layered substrate enhanced by the specific heat of the temperature sensitive material, the layered substrate forming the planar medium after drying,
• the temperature sensitive material being a phase change material (PCM) and the pocket ventilation regions occupy a distance based on a temperature fluctuation for permitting release of latent heat defined by the specific heat of the PCM.

An apparatus for drying a planar substrate, comprising

• a plurality of heat transfer elements
• at least one pocket ventilation region between the heat transfer elements;
• a transport for disposing a hydrated planar substrate adjacent to the heat transfer elements in succession for applying heat to the substrate in a progressive linear manner;
• and
• a temperature sensitive material layered on the substrate, the temperature sensitive material selected based on a temperature at which the temperature sensitive material transitions to a solid for extracting latent heat from the temperature sensitive material for expelling the moisture content and accelerating drying of the substrate and configured for applying latent heat for drying the substrate,
• the temperature sensitive material being a phase change material (PCM) and the pocket ventilation regions occupying a distance based on a temperature fluctuation for permitting release of latent heat defined by the specific heat of the PCM,
• wherein the PCM is selected based on a temperature at which the PCM transitions to a solid for extracting latent heat from the PCM.