Bio-based phase-change materials

01Overview and value chain#

Markers EC: USDA BioPreferred + EU REACH | OECD: bio-materials, circular-bioeconomy | Regulator: REACH (EU)

Bio-based phase-change materials (PCM) absorb and release thermal energy as they transition between solid and liquid states at a defined melting temperature, providing passive thermal regulation for buildings, textiles, and thermal-storage systems. Conventional PCM chemistry is typically paraffin- or petroleum-derived; bio-based PCM substitutes plant-derived fatty acids or vegetable-oil derivatives for the same thermal-storage function, targeting USDA BioPreferred certification and appealing to buyers seeking to avoid fossil-derived thermoregulation chemistry. The confirmed vendor base spans three genuinely distinct applications — thermal energy storage, textile-integrated thermoregulation, and building-material PCM — with each of the three confirmed vendors occupying a different niche within the category.

The key directions of bio-based phase-change materials are:

1. Plant-derived PCM formulations: PCM chemistry derived from plant fatty acids or vegetable oils rather than paraffin, targeting the same melting-point thermal-storage function.
2. Textile-integrated thermoregulation: PCM formulated for incorporation into textile fibers or coatings, providing passive body-temperature regulation in apparel.
3. Thermal energy storage systems: PCM deployed in building or industrial thermal-storage applications, absorbing excess heat and releasing it when needed.
4. Microplastic-free formulation: an emerging differentiator — PCM chemistry engineered to avoid the microplastic-shedding concerns associated with some encapsulated PCM formats.

Sectoral value chain#

[Feedstock sourcing] ──> [PCM formulation] ──> [Melting-point tuning] ──> [Application integration]
                                                          │
                                                (textile/building/storage format)
                                                          │
                                                          ▼
[Thermal regulation in use] <─── [Product manufacturing] <┘

Value chain levels#

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Fatty-acid/vegetable-oil PCM chemistry: the core bio-based formulation science replacing paraffin as the phase-change substance.
• Melting-point engineering: tuning the specific blend to hit a target transition temperature for a given application (body temperature for textiles, building comfort range for construction).
• Microplastic-free encapsulation: formulation approaches avoiding the plastic microcapsule shells used in some conventional PCM formats.

02US#

The US has one confirmed vendor, specializing in thermal energy storage applications.

Bio-based thermal storage, USDA BioPreferred#

• PureTemp: a Minneapolis-based company selling a 100% USDA BioPreferred plant-derived PCM range spanning -37°C to 151°C, confirmed via the company’s own data-sheet and product pages.

03CN#

No Chinese vendor with a dedicated, confirmed bio-based PCM product was found on a live screen.

No confirmed dedicated vendor#

• Market context: this article found no Chinese company with confirmed, on-topic evidence of a bio-based phase-change material product.
• Reopen condition: if a Chinese vendor selling a confirmed bio-based PCM product surfaces on a future screen, this section should be revised and the company added to the table.

04EU#

The EU has two confirmed vendors spanning thermal energy storage and textile-integrated thermoregulation.

Thermal energy storage, textile thermoregulation, microplastic-free formulation#

• Climator (Sweden): a thermal energy storage specialist confirmed via its own domain’s PCM-solutions pages, applying bio-based PCM chemistry to building and industrial thermal-storage applications.
• RUDOLF (Germany): confirmed via its own domain’s knowledge-hub page on RUCO-THERM PCM BIO-MFT, a bio-based, microplastic-free thermoregulation technology for textile comfort applications, alongside a company news page on its broader technical-textile innovation program.

05Leading companies and research institutes#

06Tech stack and innovations#

The category’s technology spans three distinct application niches — building/industrial thermal storage, textile thermoregulation, and general bio-based PCM formulation — each with its own melting-point engineering requirements.

1. Broad-temperature-range bio-PCM formulation:
   • PureTemp’s -37°C to 151°C product range reflects formulation chemistry engineered across a wide span of transition temperatures for different application needs, from cold-chain to industrial process applications.
2. Building/industrial thermal storage integration:
   • Climator applies bio-based PCM chemistry to thermal energy storage systems, absorbing excess heat during peak periods and releasing it when needed, a passive-efficiency application distinct from textile use.
3. Microplastic-free textile thermoregulation:
   • RUDOLF’s RUCO-THERM PCM BIO-MFT explicitly targets microplastic-free formulation, addressing a specific environmental concern associated with some conventional encapsulated PCM textile treatments.

07Value chains and production pipelines#

Industrial pipeline of a bio-based PCM product (USDA BioPreferred + EU REACH)#

┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Feedstock sourcing       │ ───> │ 2. PCM formulation         │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
                                                 │
                                                 ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Application integration  │ <─── │ 3. Melting-point tuning    │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘
              │
              ▼
┌───────────────────────────┐      ┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Product manufacturing    │ ───> │ 6. Thermal regulation in use │
└───────────────────────────┘      └───────────────────────────┘

Stage 1: Feedstock sourcing

Plant fatty acids or vegetable-oil derivatives are sourced as the base chemistry for the bio-based PCM.

Stage 2: PCM formulation

The base chemistry is formulated to achieve a stable, repeatable phase-change function across many thermal cycles.

Stage 3: Melting-point tuning

The formulation is adjusted to hit the specific transition temperature required by the intended application, from PureTemp’s -37°C to 151°C range down to a garment-specific body-temperature target.

Stage 4: Application integration

The tuned PCM is integrated into its end format — a textile fiber or coating for RUDOLF’s RUCO-THERM, or a thermal-storage unit for Climator’s building applications.

Stage 5: Product manufacturing

The finished product — garment, building panel, or storage unit — is manufactured at commercial scale incorporating the integrated PCM.

Stage 6: Thermal regulation in use

The finished product delivers passive thermal-regulation performance during end use, completing the value chain from plant feedstock to functional thermal comfort or energy storage.