Possible solution for extreme-low temperature cooling

I have been doing quite a bit of research over the last month. And I was amazed by some of the things I found. I was familiar with the bulky foam tube that people typically use on water-pipes to stop them from freezing in the winter, but I may have found the next generation in insulation.

Everyone knows that solids transfer heat most efficiently, right? Second in line is liquids, and the worst thing for heat transfer is gas. This is extremely simplified, mind you. I'm certian that there are several exceptions to each of the above mentions, but I'm speaking in general.

The reason most people use the thick foam tube is because, well, it tends to insulate the best. Most of the extra space and thickness is actually derrived from the air bubbles in the medium. Okay, so what if nothing I've stated so far is not widely know. But, came across the next age in insulation technology. Microporus insulation.

Fundamentally, it is the same as the thicker foam solution, but the air bubbles have been reduced to molecular dimensions. The result? A solid that can withstand temperatures up to 1000C constant, and 1200C for a short period. The lowest functional temperature for this medium is an astonishing -200C, and will remain that way as long as it is kept free from excess moisture. Swing by MicroTherm for the details. I'm going to order a section of their ThinSheet product, which is 2-3mm thick: Perfect to cut into pieces to glue things, like, a waterblock or a liquid cooling reservoir perhaps? Take a look. After I get mine, I'll post details.

Looks very interesting. could be promising. Let me know how it goes

Ill be curious to see how it performs too...look forward to hearing from you and best wishes for your test.

_Siph

Okay, here's the scoop:

I just got off the phone with one of the engineers, and he informs me that this product will easily perform for the application. It is easy to cut, and can be attached to almost anything by using adhesive suitable for the application temperature. It is soft and bendable, and even hydrophobic, so it will not absorb water over time.

This seems perfect, except for one major problem: Order size. They will not ship any orders of less t han $300 USD. Maybe another supplier exists, or there may be some sort of distribution center. If I am able to purchase 300 dollars worth of this insulation, I will be selling sheets of it. The sheets I may sell will be 20" x 20", and will be 3mm thick. The cost for them will be $30 plus actual shipping. Again, this isn't the actual sale listing. This is if I am able to purchase the material.

If/when I get the insulation, I'll post a link to the sale thread in this thread.

How would this offer an advantage over the foam we already use? Why would it be worth the extra expense?

Simply put, its much easier and much nicer to look at. Its extremely thin, and can fit in almost any place in a computer case. Besides, you can then seal the insulation and paint it any color you want, so it'll be much more pleasing to look at. Instead of a solid block of "Great Stuff" around a proc wb, you could just cut this stuff into shapes and attach them to the proc wb. Less space to use, much less time needed, and you won't have a big ugly mound of foam in your case.

And, I've located a large number of companies who manufacture/distribute this kind of foam. I'm still looking around, but as soon as I find the perfect seller, I'll post a link to their website on this thread. This stuff has some obvious potential, and I can't wait to get my hands on some of it.

you cant sell it in this thread but you can go to the classifides and sell it there but you would have to have pics and post temps of it for others to spend alot on something like that sounds cool to me but im still spectical of it

Hey if we get enough people we could get up to around 300 dollars to put in for the foam.

I would definately do it

I might be interested in some.

That would definetly be of intrest to me.
The real advantage would be in making an easily removable phase change block.

My waterchiller block takes 8 hours to take down and put back up because of the heinous insulation.

How much does $300 buy you?

300 dollars is enough to buy 10-12 sheets of the stuff. As of now, I'm still trying to see if another manufacturer of this exists. I'm also looking for a solution for the liquid cooling tubes as well, like one that's integrated to the tube itself, and will still be flexable enough to use without any serious case mods.

The wonders never cease to amaze me. I found a substance sounds even more useful to our applications. This stuff, rather than being a soft panel, is actually an applicable fluid. Rather than being microporous fumed silicate which is normally hygroscopic (meaning it absorbs moisture, kind of like DampRid), it appears to be completely hydrophobic, and one of its usage examples was with an air conditioning system where condensation had to be prevented. More info I find it out.

Not bad.

So a 1/2" OD tube with 1/2" thick insulation would lose ~150 watts over 5ft (1.67m) with a temperature differantal of 150C degrees (generally a coolant temp of -125C).

eweast said:

Not bad.

So a 1/2" OD tube with 1/2" thick insulation would lose ~150 watts over 5ft (1.67m) with a temperature differantal of 150C degrees (generally a coolant temp of -125C).

Click to expand...

huh?

Okay. I've ordered a gallon of this new stuff. Its called Nansulate. It has a thermal conductivity of 0.017 W/mK, which is actually better than the Polyethylene foam everyone tends to use. It operates from -40C to 121C, which is usually well-within most people's ranges. On average, each three coats of this paint-like stuff will bring the temperature of the item 30C closer to ambient. It has decent flexability, and can actually be applied to tubing that flexes mildly. Seems perfect. As soon as mine comes in, I'll post pics and usage measurements/etc.

btw- For those around who want to see it for themselves, the pricing, availability, and general information can be found on their website

Sounds like it could be a very good potential product. But what I need to see to convince me is reports from many people of success they have had with it.

Yep. And, you'll see those reports as soon as I get mine in the mail.

Excellent. The Nansulate-GP finally arrived. I've coated a small plastic water-bottle with it (one of the 0.5L bottles of Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water). By the morning (Its 754PM here) it'll be dry, so I can perform some experiments with it. I'll post pics and results when I get them.

As for the paint itself, its a nice bright white. Its a little more thin that I'm used to, but I usually buy paint that needs to be mixed with paint thinner before you can apply it. It coats smoothly, and actually seems to be much like a latex paint. Again, more info as I get it.