Heat sink protective packaging for thermolabile goods

Abstract

There is disclosed an improved heat sink composition and a method for preparing said composition to protect thermolabile goods from degradation or destruction from high temperatures. A representative composition includes sodium sulfate, sodium sulfate decahydrate (also known as Glauber's salt) and fumed silcon dioxide, a hydrophilic suspension agent which maintains the excess anhydrous sodium sulfate in uniform suspension when the composition is in a liquid state. In a preferred embodiment, the salt prior to use is dissolved in water, and driven to saturation, the hydrophilic agent is added, and the suspension driven to an over saturated state by the additional of from 1 to 30% anhydrous salt. The composition is then sealed in a plastic container of the desired shape to form an improved heat sink. The goods to be protected are packaged with the heat sink, whose salt hydrate has a melting point about 3.degree. C. to about 5.degree. C. lower than the thermosensitive temperature of the goods to protect them when the temperature of the environment exceeds the temperature of the goods. In the preferred embodiment, the goods and heat sink are surrounded with a layer of insulation which is adjacent to the outside container, which may be made of cardboard, paper, plastic and/or wood.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.