Journal
SUSTAINABILITY
Volume 15, Issue 3, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/su15031957
Keywords
phase change composites (PCCs); efficiency latent heat; shape stability; copper
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Phase change materials (PCMs) are effective thermal energy storage technology for utilizing solar heat and optimizing energy consumption in buildings. The poor heat transfer and shape stabilization of PCMs hinder their widespread practical use. This article focuses on the application of shape stabilization method by adding copper microparticles to organic PCMs to form phase change composites (PCC). The PCCs exhibit enhanced thermal conductivity and shape stability during phase transition, making them suitable for practical application in thermal energy storage and management.
Phase change materials (PCMs), as an effective thermal energy storage technology, provide a viable approach to harness solar heat, a green energy source, and optimize energy consumption in buildings. However, the obstacle preventing widespread practical use of PCM is its poor performance in terms of heat transfer and shape stabilization. This article focuses on the application of the shape stabilization method. To improve the thermal conductivity of organic PCMs (hexadecane), copper microparticles are added to form phase change composites (PCC). This process allows an enhanced PCM (75 wt%) that distributes effective thermal storage capabilities while maintaining low cost. SEM, FTIR, ATG, infrared thermography (IRT), and DSC were used to characterize the composites' micromorphology, chemical composition, thermal degradation stability, and thermal energy storage capabilities. DSC results showed that a proportion of 75 wt% phase change material with 15 wt% Cu had excellent thermal stability and high energy storage density per unit mass. In light of its high latent heat storage capacity of 201.32 J/g as well as its ability to prevent Hexadecane exudation, PCC ensures higher thermal conductivity and shape stability during phase transition than ordinary PCM. The incorporation of Cu to paraffin causes delay in PCM phase transformation, leading it to respond to rapid charging and discharging rates and, consequentially, to challenges in temperature control, as shown by IRT. The new PCCs had favorable thermal stability below 100 degrees C, which was advantageous for practical application for thermal energy storage and management, and notably for solar thermal energy storage.
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