Fabrication and Properties of Electrospun PAN/LA-SA/TiO2 Composite Phase Change Fiber

A stabilized matrix to accommodate phase change materials is essential in the application and functioning of phase change materials. In this study, lauric-stearic acid eutectics and TiO2 were doped with polyacrylonitrile solution to electrospin a composite phase change nanofibers. The surface morphology indicated typical nanofibrous structure of polyacrylonitrile/lauric-stearic/TiO2 composite nanofibers, and the diameter of fiber increased with the increase in lauric-stearic eutectic mass ratio. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed the temperature of melting peak of polyacrylonitrile/lauric-stearic/TiO2 nanofiber was around 25 degrees C, which was lower than that of pure lauric-stearic eutectics. Latent heat value of the composite fibers gradually increased with the increase in lauric-stearic mass ratio. Thermal cycle test and thermogravimetric analysis showed that polyacrylonitrile/lauric-stearic/TiO2 composite fibers were reversible thermal energy storage materials with good thermal stability below 100 degrees C. [GRAPHICS] .