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Portable refrigeration devices including methods for preparing heat sink materials for use in such devices, and the heat sink materials prepared in this way. The methods relate to the encapsulation of such materials, and the maximization of heat transfer efficiency to heat sink materials in such ref

Portable refrigeration devices including methods for preparing heat sink materials for use in such devices, and the heat sink materials prepared in this way. The methods relate to the encapsulation of such materials, and the maximization of heat transfer efficiency to heat sink materials in such refrigeration devices.

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1. A method for preparing heat sink material for a portable, single-use, non-releasing evaporation-type refrigerator that produces a refrigerant vapor during evaporative heating, the method comprising:A) providing a quantity of solid phase change heat sink material having a solid density, and underg

1. A method for preparing heat sink material for a portable, single-use, non-releasing evaporation-type refrigerator that produces a refrigerant vapor during evaporative heating, the method comprising:A) providing a quantity of solid phase change heat sink material having a solid density, and undergoing a volume increase upon melting; B) adjusting the density of said phase change heat sink material to a new density which is lesser than the solid density by a percentage, wherein the percentage is within 2% of the percentage volume increase experienced by the phase change material upon melting; C) encapsulating said solid phase change material at the new density, wherein the encapsulation is accomplished by placing the phase change material in a substantially gas- and fluid-tight capsule from which contaminants that degrade the performance of the phase change material are excluded; and D) placing the encapsulated heat sink material in thermal contact with a sorbent material, wherein the sorbent material receives refrigerant vapor during operation of said refrigerator, subsequently evolving heat. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the phase change heat sink material undergoes a phase change at a temperature between about 50° C. and about 75° C.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the density to which the heat sink material is decreased is between 10 and 25% lesser than the solid density.4. The method of claim 3, wherein the density to which the heat sink material is decreased is between 12 and 20% lesser than the solid density.5. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially gas- and fluid-tight capsule comprises a metallic layer.6. The method of claim 5, wherein the metallic layer is between 0.0005 and 0.002 inches thick.7. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially gas- and fluid-tight capsule comprises a polymeric layer.8. The method of claim 7, wherein encapsulation with a polymeric layer is carried out by a radiation-induced polymerization.9. The method of claim 8, wherein the radiation-induced polymerization is a UV-light induced polymerization.10. The method of claim 9, wherein the UV-light has energy in the range of from about 280 nm to about 420 nm.11. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is made from at least one UV-curable epoxy resin-based monomer.12. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat sink material is selected from the group consisting of paraffin hydrocarbons, sodium acetate trihydrate, sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, and disodium phosphate dodecahydrate.13. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat sink material is selected from the group consisting of paraffin hydrocarbon, sodium acetate trihydrate, and disodium phosphate dodecahydrate.14. An encapsulated heat sink material made according to the method of claim 1.15. A method for preparing heat sink material for a portable, single-use, non-releasing evaporation-type refrigerator that produces a refrigerant vapor during evaporative heating, the method comprising:A) providing falling drops of phase change-type heat sink material from a drop tower apparatus; B) passing said falling drops through a volume of UV-curable monomer; C) providing UV-light of energy and intensity sufficient to cure said UV-curable monomer, so as to produce a polymer-encapsulated falling drop of heat sink material; D) breaking the fall of said polymer-encapsulated heat sink material; E) placing said polymer-encapsulated heat sink material in thermal contact with a sorbent material, wherein the sorbent material receives refrigerant vapor during operation of said refrigerator, subsequently evolving heat. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the UV-curable monomer is a epoxy resin-based monomer.17. The method of claim 15, wherein the UV-light has energy in the range of from about 220 nm to about 460 nm.18. An encapsulated heat sink material made according to the method of claim 15.19. A method of cooling a product with a portable, single-use, non-releasing evaporation-type refrigerator that produces refrigerant vapor during evaporative heating, the method comprising:A) providing a portable, single-use, non-releasing evaporation-type refrigerator comprising: 1) an evaporator chamber in thermal contact with a product to be cooled, wherein the evaporator chamber comprises a refrigerant, dispersed in intimate contact with a refrigerant dispersant; 2) an evacuated sorber in thermal contact with a solid phase change-type heat sink material that undergoes a volume increase on melting, wherein the sorber comprises a sorbent, wherein the solid phase change type heat sink material is encapsulated to the exclusion of contaminants that degrade the performance of the heat sink material at a density which is a percentage less than its solid density, wherein the percentage is within 2% of the percentage volume increase experienced by the material upon melting; 3) a means for preventing refrigerant vapor flow between the evaporator chamber and the sorber, until operation of the device; B) operating the means for preventing refrigerant vapor flow, thereby permitting said flow, whereby the pressure in the evaporator chamber is reduced, causing the refrigerant to vaporize and form a refrigerant vapor, the vapor collected by the sorbent material in the sorber, and heat is generated in the sorbent; C) removing the vapor from the evaporator chamber by collecting the vapor until an equilibrium is reached, wherein the sorbent is substantially saturated or substantially all the refrigerant has been collected in the sorbent material; and D) containing the heat generated in the sorbent within the sorber by means of the phase change-type heat sink material.