Micronal® microencapsulated PCM for built-in thermal comfort.

Micronal® is one of the most widely studied microencapsulated phase change materials in the world. Developed for the construction industry to bring thermal mass back into modern lightweight buildings, it has been deployed in gypsum wallboards, plasters, and radiant ceiling systems across Europe — and in landmark reference projects from the Solar Decathlon house in Washington D.C. to commercial buildings, schools, and contemporary residences.

Microtek now manufactures Micronal® and offers it as both an aqueous liquid dispersion (Micronal® 24S and 28S) and as redispersible powders, expanding its availability for building materials, bedding, textiles, and other diverse use cases. As Microtek joins Alexium, the Micronal® line strengthens the combined portfolio with melt-point options that complement our existing PCM grades.

Each microcapsule is a polymer sphere, 2–20 microns in diameter, containing a paraffin-wax core. As the surrounding temperature rises through the wax's melt point, the core absorbs heat as latent energy and the temperature of the system stays nearly constant. As the room cools, the wax solidifies and releases the stored heat back into the space.

The result is a passive, mechanically robust thermal buffer: 1.5 cm of Micronal® PCM gypsum wallboard has thermal storage capacity comparable to roughly 9 cm of concrete or 12 cm of brick — intelligent temperature management in an extremely lightweight form factor.

• Comfort-range melt points at 21°C, 23°C, 24°C, 26°C, and 28°C — temperatures other PCM grades in the portfolio don't reach as precisely, ideal for indoor air, sleep surfaces, and wearable comfort.
• Formaldehyde-free microencapsulation engineered for long-term indoor use.
• High cycle stability — performs reliably across decades of daily melt/freeze cycles with no measurable loss of capacity.
• High surface-to-volume ratio — 1 g of Micronal® offers approximately 30 m² of heat-exchange surface for rapid, even response.
• Liquid dispersion or powder — drops directly into existing wet processes (plasters, paints, coatings, slurries, foams) or dry blends (mortars, gypsum, cementitious mixes).