Development and investigation of microencapsulated caprylic acid-based phase change materials for thermal energy storage applications

The present study is focused on the preparation of microencapsulated phase change materials (Micro-PCMs) for thermal energy storage applications. These Micro-PCMs capsules comprise of a renewable material, caprylic acid (CA), as core latent heat storage material, confined inside the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) shells and are produced by the suspension-like polymerization method. The prepared Micro-PCMs are characterized by FTIR, SEM, and Particle Size Analyzer. The phase change properties, including melting and crystallization temperatures, and latent heats associated during phase change are determined by DSC and are reported as 14.3 +/- 0.2 degrees C, 9.7 +/- 0.4 degrees C, and 98.7 +/- 1.5 J/g, 99.0 +/- 1.7 J/g, respectively. The TGA results indicated that the synthesized Micro-PCMs exhibit a two-step degradation pattern and have good thermal stability. The T-History test is carried out to study the thermal energy storage/release time of the Micro-PCMs. Thermal cycling test has been performed to check the thermal reliability of the microcapsules. The synthesized Micro-PCMs are good contenders for latent heat absorption and can play a vital role in the area of thermal energy storage (TES) applications, such as passive space heating or cooling applications, smart textiles, and thermo-responsive functional coatings.

Automated summary

The study focuses on preparing Micro-PCMs capsules with caprylic acid as the core material and PMMA as the shell using suspension-like polymerization method. The Micro-PCMs were characterized by various techniques and showed good thermal stability and heat storage/release performance. They have the potential for applications in thermal energy storage, such as passive space heating or cooling, smart textiles, and thermo-responsive functional coatings.