Preventing agglomeration and growth of ice particles in water with suitable additives

Crystal Growth and Viscosity Behaviors of Ammonium Alum Hydrate Solution with PVA in Shear Flow

“…In another explanation for the effects of PVA, the Kelvin effect was proposed. 3,20) That is, PVA can attach and orient on crystals, consequently preventing crystal growth.…”

“…Therefore, the flow rate of the heat media is reduced, which minifies industrial systems and reduces the energy required for operation. Latent heat transportation systems using phase change slurries have great potential for various applications [1][2][3][4] ; however, the slurries have some disadvantages. One significant disadvantage is their low fluidities; due to the presence of particles, phase change materials have higher viscosities compared with solutions without particles.…”

“…In addition, the particles agglomerate and disperse in the slurry, imparting non-Newtonian characteristics to the slurry. [5][6][7][8][9] To increase slurry fluidity, the addition of surfactants that form drag-reducing rod-like micelles [10][11][12][13][14][15] , polymers 3,16) , and some types of brines 1,9,17,18) have been tested to prevent particle agglomeration. These additives also enhance the non-Newtonian behavior of the slurries.…”

“…For example, ice/water slurries have been previously employed in lower temperature applications. [1][2][3]5,16,18,19) Since ice has a large latent heat of 334 kJ kg -1 at 0 ºC, the ice slurries are used for food cold chains. Much research has been performed on the heat transfer characteristics of ice slurries, on techniques for preventing the agglomeration of ice particles, and on techniques to increase fluidity.…”

“…In these studies, surfactants, some types of brines, and poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) have been tested to prevent agglomeration. 3,[16][17][18]20) Aluminum ammonium sulfate dodecahydrate (ammonium alum hydrate) slurry is a promising latent heat medium for high-temperature systems. However, there exist the significant issues with this medium at high temperature with respect to crystal agglomeration, growth, and sedimentation.…”