Thermal energy storage behavior of composite using hybrid nanomaterials as PCM for solar heating systems

In this study, thermal and heat transfer characteristics of the newly prepared composite as phase change material (PCM) comprising paraffin and hybrid nanomaterials (50 % CuO–50 % TiO₂) have been investigated for solar heating systems. Composite PCMs with 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 mass% of hybrid nanomaterials were prepared individually for assessing their better performances than paraffin alone. Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) was preferred as the surfactant to ensure the dispersion stability of the nanomaterials in the paraffin and mass fraction of SDBS was 1.2 times of the mass fraction of hybrid nanomaterials in the paraffin. The thermal properties of the composite PCMs were determined by differential scanning calorimetry in terms of mass fractions of hybrid nanomaterials and number of thermal cycles. The thermal stabilities of the paraffin and composite PCMs were tested by thermogravimetric analyzer. The thermal conductivity and viscosity of the paraffin due to the addition of various mass fractions of CuO, TiO₂, and hybrid nanomaterials were determined by LFA 447 NanoFlash analyzer and Brookfield DV-III Ultra programmable rheometer, respectively. The experimental results proved that the heating and cooling rates of composite PCMs were faster due to the dispersion of hybrid nanomaterials. For composite PCM with 1.0 mass% of hybrid nanomaterials, the melting and freezing times were reduced by 29.8 and 27.7 %, respectively, as compared with the paraffin.     

PW based phase change nanocomposites containing <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Phase change nanocomposites were prepared by dispersing γ-Al₂O₃ nanoparticles into melting paraffin wax (PW). Intensive sonication was used to make well dispersed and homogeneous composites. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and transient short-hot-wire (SHW) method were employed to measure the thermal properties of the composites. The composites decreased the latent heat thermal energy storage capacity, L _s, and melting point, T _m, compared with those of the PW. Interestingly, the composites with low mass fraction of the nanoparticles, have higher latent heat capacity than the calculated latent heat capacity value. The thermal conductivity of the nanocomposites was enhanced and increased with the mass fraction of Al₂O₃ in both liquid state and solid state.     

Phase change materials based on low-density polyethylene/paraffin wax blends

Phase change materials, based on low-density polyethylene blended with soft and hard paraffin waxes respectively, were studied in this paper. DSC, DMA, TGA and SEM were employed to determine the structure and properties of the blends. The blends were able to absorb large amounts of heat energy due to melting of paraffin wax, whereas the LDPE matrix kept the material in a compact shape on macroscopic level. The hard paraffin wax was, however, much more miscible with LDPE because of co-crystallization than the soft paraffin wax. LDPE blended with hard paraffin wax degrades in just one step, while blends containing soft paraffin wax degrade in two distinguishable steps. SEM showed completely different morphology for the two paraffin waxes and confirmed the lower miscibility of LDPE and soft paraffin wax. DMA analyses demonstrated the toughening effect of the waxes on the polymer matrix. This technique was also used to follow the thermal expansion as well as the dimensional stability of the samples during thermal cycling. The most visible expansion could be seen in the first cycle, probably due to a totally different thermal history of the sample. With further cycling the dimensions stabilized after two and four cycles for soft and hard paraffin wax, respectively. Controlled force ramp testing on DMA confirmed poor material strength of the blends containing soft wax, especially at temperatures above wax melting.     

Thermal Charging Optimization of a Wavy-Shaped Nano-Enhanced Thermal Storage Unit

A wavy shape was used to enhance the thermal heat transfer in a shell-tube latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) unit. The thermal storage unit was filled with CuO–coconut oil nano-enhanced phase change material (NePCM). The enthalpy-porosity approach was employed to model the phase change heat transfer in the presence of natural convection effects in the molten NePCM. The finite element method was applied to integrate the governing equations for fluid motion and phase change heat transfer. The impact of wave amplitude and wave number of the heated tube, as well as the volume concertation of nanoparticles on the full-charging time of the LHTES unit, was addressed. The Taguchi optimization method was used to find an optimum design of the LHTES unit. The results showed that an increase in the volume fraction of nanoparticles reduces the charging time. Moreover, the waviness of the tube resists the natural convection flow circulation in the phase change domain and could increase the charging time.     

A novel form-stable paraffin-based hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene binder containing microencapsulated paraffin wax

Leakage and incompatibility of paraffin wax (PW) in hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binders is a major obstacle to its application in polymer-bonded explosives (PBX). In order to solve this issue, we designed a microencapsulated PW (MePW)/PW/HTPB composite in this paper. Melamine–formaldehyde-shelled MePW (MF MePW)/PW/HTPB composites with different contents of MePW and PW were prepared by cast molding method. The chemical composition, crystallinity and microstructure of MePW/PW/HTPB composites were analyzed with Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The results showed that PW and MF MePW have been uniformly dispersed in HTPB without any chemical interaction. Moreover, differential scanning calorimeter analysis, thermal gravimetric analyzer, thermal cycling test, leaking test, tensile and compressive test were used to investigate the thermal and mechanical properties of these composites. The composites have high latent heat and good thermal reliability. The thermal stability, tensile and compressive strength of MePW/PW/HTPB composites were dramatically increased with the increasing mass fraction of MePW. The introduction of MePW can obviously prevent the leakage of PW in both HTPB binders and PBX. Consequently, it is anticipated that MePW can be used in the next-generation of paraffin-based high-temperature PBX systems.

     

Experimental investigation toward obtaining a new correlation for viscosity of WO3 and Al2O3 nanoparticles-loaded nanofluid within aqueous and non-aqueous basefluids

In this study, the effect of temperature and mass fraction of Al₂O₃ and WO₃ nanoparticles dispersed in deionized water and liquid paraffin was investigated on dynamic viscosity of nanofluid. The results of the TEM tests showed that the size of Al₂O₃ and WO₃ nanoparticles was ranged from 10 to 60 nm, and the results showed that nanoparticles were semi-spherical. Also the results of DLS and zeta potential tests, respectively, exhibited the uniform size and high stability of the nanoparticles in the basefluid environment. The findings showed that adding a certain amount of nanoparticles to water and liquid paraffin increases dynamic viscosity, and in the case of various shear rates, the viscosity is constant for the water-based nanofluids, which indicates the Newtonian behavior of the nanofluid. In addition, for those prepared by liquid paraffin as a basefluid, the viscosity does not remain constant at different shear rates and at low amount of shear rate the viscosity achieves higher value, indicating non-Newtonian behavior of liquid paraffin-based nanofluids. The results showed that by increasing the temperature in liquid paraffin-based nanofluid the uniformity and linearity of the viscosity curve at various shear rates could be observed, which represents an approach for Newtonian behavior of nanofluid at higher temperatures. These results also showed that with increasing the mass fraction of nanoparticles in water and liquid paraffin, the viscosity increases at different shear rates. Finally, the correlation presented in this study shows that for nanofluid viscosity as a function of nanoparticles load and temperature, the deviation of correlated data from experimental values is less than 10%.

     

Preparation and characterization of pavement materials with phase-change temperature modulation

A kind of pavement crack repairing material with temperature regulation property was successfully prepared through one-step method, in which the paraffin was incorporated into the polyurethane/epoxy resin-interpenetrating polymer networks. Differential scanning calorimeter results indicated that the phase-change latent heat of sample A was 14.4 kJ kg^?1, and the phase transition temperature was ??0.3 °C. FTIR and thermogravimetry measurements verified that the paraffin was successfully incorporated into the interpenetrating polymer network without leakage and reacted with the carrier, which exhibited high thermal stability above 300 °C. After 1 year of road test, there was no breakage for the repairing pavement with paraffin–polyurethane/epoxy resin-interpenetrating polymer networks, and there was almost no change for the accumulated attenuation of phase-change latent heat. Therefore, the materials of paraffin–polyurethane/epoxy resin-interpenetrating polymer networks have good chemical stability and thermal stability.

     

石蜡/P(MMA-co-AA)核壳结构相变蓄能微胶囊的制备

以熔点在58~60℃的半精炼石蜡作为相变芯材,与单体、分散剂水溶液形成核壳结构分散液,室温下自由基聚合制备甲基丙烯酸甲酯-丙烯酸的共聚物(P(MMA-co-AA))为壳材的微胶囊.分别用相差显微镜、扫描电镜、差示扫描量热分析仪和傅里叶变换红外光谱仪测定了微胶囊的形貌、热性能和壳材化学结构.微胶囊的直径范围为1~5μm,其中相变芯材的含量可达70%左右,具有较高的相变潜热(99 J/g),有望应用于空调、供暖等领域.     

Synthesis of Highly-Dispersed Ni/Mesoporous Silica via an Ammonia Evaporation Method for Dry Reforming of Methane: Effect of the Ni Loadings

Mesoporous silica was used in conjunction with the ammonia evaporation method to prepare highly dispersed Ni catalysts for the dry reforming of methane (DRM). The effect of Ni dispersion on the catalytic performance was investigated by applying different Ni loadings. The pore structure, morphology, Ni dispersion, catalytic activity for DRM as well as the coke resistance were investigated. During the reaction at a relatively low temperature of 600 °C, all the three catalysts exhibited high stability in CH₄ and CO₂ conversion and excellent coke resistance, in comparison to Ni/SiO₂ catalyst prepared by the incipient wetness method. Among them, 10% Ni–SiO₂ exhibited the best catalytic performance with the maximum steady conversions of 62% and 69% for CH₄ and CO₂ at 600 °C, which was beneficial from its optimal Ni content and the presence of highly-dispersed metal nanoparticles confined in the mesopores.

     

Preparation of Thermostable Highly Dispersed Titanium Dioxide from Stable Hydrosols

A large set of stable nanodispersed TiO₂ hydrosols differing in particle structure and dispersion medium composition was synthesized. For highly dispersed TiO₂ samples obtained by calcination of dried sols at 500°C phase compositions, sizes of primary crystallites, and specific surface areas were found. The factors affecting thermal stability of TiO₂ nanoparticles were analyzed. The sol containing the most thermostable nanoparticles was used to produce a highly efficient catalyst for cyclohexanone ammoximation.     

Experimental investigation of nanofluid stability on thermal performance and flow regimes in pulsating heat pipe

Pulsating heat pipe (PHP) is a type of wickless heat pipe that has a simple structure and an outstanding thermal performance. Nanofluid is a type of fluid in which nanoparticles are dispersed in a base fluid and have generally a better thermal conductivity in comparison with its base fluid. In this article, the performance of a nanofluid PHP is investigated. Graphene/water nanofluid with a concentration of 1 mg mL^?1 and TiO₂ (titania)/water nanofluid with a concentration of 10 mg mL^?1 are used as the working fluids. To simultaneously investigate the thermal performance and flow regimes in the PHP, a one-turn copper PHP with a Pyrex glass attached to its adiabatic section is used. A one-turn Pyrex PHP is also used to fully visualize flow patterns in the PHP. Our results show that the material for the fabrication of a PHP and temperature of the working fluid are the most important parameters that affect the stability of a nanofluid in the PHP. The more stable nanofluid keeps its stability in the cupper PHP, while the less stable nanofluid starts to aggregate right after the injection to the cupper PHP. The more stable nanofluid has a better thermal performance than water, while the less stable nanofluid has a worse thermal performance than water. In the case of flow regimes, no significant differences are observed between the nanofluid PHP and the water PHP which is different from the previous observations. These results can help researchers to choose the best working fluid for PHPs.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Al(OH)<Subscript>3</Subscript>, Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Nanoparticles and Polymeric Nanocomposites

Applying of the most toxic halogenated and aromatic flame retardants is limited with respect to the environmental requirements. Nontoxic Al(OH)₃ nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple surfactant-free precipitation reaction at room temperature. The effect of various precipitation-agents on the morphology of the products was investigated. Al(OH)₃ nanoparticles were added to the polysulfone and poly styrene (PS) matrices. Electron microscope images show excellent dispersion of aluminium hydroxide in PS matrix. Nanoparticles appropriately enhanced both thermal stability and flame retardant property of the polymeric matrices. The enhancement of flame retardancy is due to endothermic decomposition of Al(OH)₃ that absorbs heat and simultaneously releases of water (makes combustible gases diluted and cold). Dispersed nanoparticles play the role of a barrier layer against flame, oxygen and polymer volatilization. Al(OH)₃ was converted to Al₂O₃ and its photo-catalyst property in degradation three different organic dyes as pollutants was investigated.     

Thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity measurements of Al2O3 nanofluids

Thermal conductivities and specific heat capacities of nanoparticles of Al₂O₃ dispersed in water and ethylene glycol as a function of the particle volume fraction and at temperatures between 298 and 338 K were measured. The steady-state coaxial cylinders method, using a C80D microcalorimeter (Setaram, France) equipped with special calorimetric vessels, was used for the thermal conductivities measurements. The heat capacities were measured with a Micro DSC II microcalorimeter (Setaram, France) with batch cells designed in our laboratory and the “scanning or continuous method.” The Hamilton–Crosser model properly accounts for the thermal conductivity of the studied nanofluids. Assuming that the nanoparticles and the base fluid are in thermal equilibrium, the experimental specific heat capacities of nanofluids are correctly justified.     

Saqima-like Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/CNTs secondary microstructures with ultrahigh initial Coulombic efficiency as an anode for lithium ion batteries

In this work, Co₃O₄/CNTs composite with Saqima-like secondary microstructure has been synthesized by heat treatment of CoC₂O₄/CNTs precursors being obtained through ultrasonication-assisted precipitation method. Through SEM, in the composites, the microstructures are composed of tightly connected nanoparticles (30–50 nm), and abundant spaces exist among nanoparticles, which can relieve the strain produced by volume effect to ensure the stability of integral structure during cycles; CNTs are dispersed in microstructures and bridge between microstructures, which can form a long-range conductive network in the composite. The electrochemical test indicates that the composite shows ultrahigh initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 85%, as well as excellent rate performance and cyclic stability. The high ICE is mainly ascribed to the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film only on the outer surface of microstructures. This work offers an available and general way to improve the ICE of transitional metal oxide as an anode material for LIB.     

Barrier Dispersion-Based Coatings Containing Natural and Paraffin Waxes

Petroleum, synthetic, and natural waxes have been used as hydrophobic bases for dispersions intended for use as barrier coatings for packaging paper. Oil-in-water dispersions with alkaline pH were prepared by a two-step homogenization procedure containing paraffin wax, with various characteristics, the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis product or beeswax. The size of the dispersed particles determined by dynamic light scattering depended on the type of hydrophobic base used and was in the range of 350–440 nm. The ability of dispersion particles in aggregation driven by electrostatic attraction, evaluated by Zeta potential analysis by electrophoretic light scattering, was from −26 to −50 mV. Static multiply light scattering was used for 30 days of stability assessment and helped to select the dispersion with a Sarawax SX70 wax base as the most stable. Dispersions were further used for coating the backing of kraft paper by the Meyer rod method. Coated paper with an applied coating of 6 g/m² had very good hydrophobic properties (Cobb60 < 4 g/m²), sufficient strength properties, and air permeation, which enabled its application as a packaging material. The dispersions based on Sarawax SX70 wax were evaluated as the best coating for Mondi ProVantage Kraftliner 125 g/m² backing paper. Good hydrophobic properties and strength properties indicate the possibility of using the SX70-based wax dispersion coating as a replacement for PFAS coatings in some applications.     

Preparation and evaluation of a stable nanoalumina-paraffin composite: Melting rate investigation using image analysis

New kinds of nanocomposite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared using various surfactants and surface modification to improve the dispersion of nanoalumina in paraffin. The results showed that only sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), could stabilize nanoAl₂O₃ in paraffin. The mechanism of the effect of SSL on the stability of prepared PCMs is discussed. Image analysis showed that addition of nanoparticles has a significant effect on the nanocomposites melting rate, and compared to the pure paraffin, an increasing of 6, 10, 16 and 29% were observed in melting rates of naocomposites composed of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0?wt.% nanoalumina, respectively.     

Magnetic and Heat Resistant Poly(imide-ether) Nanocomposites Derived from Methyl Rich 9<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-xanthene: Synthesis and Characterization

In this study a new series of magnetic and heat resistant nanocomposites were prepared based on a highly soluble poly(imide-ether) (PIE) reinforced with two different types of magnetic nanoparticles via a solution intercalation technique. New PIE with good solubility and desired molar mass containing bulky xanthene rings and amide groups in the side chains was synthesized via thermal cyclization of the poly(amic acid) precursor, obtained from the reaction of a new diamine derived from 9H-xanthene and 4,4′-oxydiphthalic dianhydride (ODPA). Improved solubility was attributed to the presence of xanthene group and flexible ether linkage in the polyimide backbones that reduce the chain-chain interaction and enhance solubility by penetrating solvent molecules into the polyimide chains. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (MNPs) which synthesized from chemical co-precipitation route were coated with silica (SiO₂), sequentially with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane and poly-melamine-terephthaldehyde (MNPs-PMT), and then separately dispersed in the poly(amic acid) solutions and thermally imidized to form PIE/Fe₃O₄ and PIE/MNPs-PMT nanocomposites. The nanostructures and properties of the resultant materials were investigated using FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The properties of the nanocomposites were strongly related to the dispersion and interaction between the nanoparticles and PIE matrix. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that the addition of MNPs-PMT nanoparticles resulted in a substantial increase in the thermal stability of the corresponding PIEN. The temperature at 10% weight loss (T₁₀) was increased from 416 °C to 428 °C for PIEN containing 3 wt% MNPs-PMT as compared to neat PIE, as well the char yield enhanced. Furthermore, the MNPs-PMT nanoparticles had better dispersion in the polymer matrix due to the strong intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions between the NH and C=N groups of surface-modified nanoparticles and the PIE matrix than the uncoated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, and exhibited a better intercalated morphology and improved thermal properties. Also, the PIEN nanocomposites under applied magnetic field exhibited the hysteretic loops of the superparamagnetic nature.     

Influence of TiO2 particles and APP on combustion behavior and mechanical properties of flame-retardant thermoplastic polyurethane

The experimental investigation on combustion behavior and mechanical properties of flame-retardant thermoplastic polyurethane were performed in the article. By the masterbatch-melt blending technique, the TiO₂ particles were well dispersed in TPU/APP composites. The microscopic morphology structure was observed by TEM and SEM. TEM images of TPU–TiO₂ masterbatch material showed that the grain sizes of TiO₂ particles were 200–400 nm. The SEM result indicated that the TiO₂ particles could enhance compatibility and dispersion of APP in TPU. The mechanical properties of TPU composites were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile tests, respectively. The DMA results indicated that TiO₂ particles could improve the viscoelastic property of the TPU/APP composites. The tensile strength achieved a significant improvement with addition of TiO₂ particles. APP/TiO₂-5 obtains a better value of 344% than APP-1 (277%). Also, the flame-retardant property and thermal stability of the TPU composites were characterized using cone calorimeter test (CCT) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The CCT results revealed that TiO₂ particles could enhance the flame-retardant property of APP in TPU. The peak heat release rate of APP/TiO₂-4 containing 0.5% TiO₂ decreased to 157.27 kW m^?2 from 225.5 kW m^?2 of APP-1 sample without any TiO₂. The TiO₂ particles could promote the formation of carbon layers which restrict the diffusion of fuels into combustion zone and access of oxygen to the underlying materials. The TGA results indicated that TiO₂ can improve the thermal stability of TPU/APP composites.

     

Nanostructured Carbon/Antimony Composites as Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries with Long Life

A series of nanostructured carbon/antimony composites have been successfully synthesized by a simple sol–gel, high‐temperature carbon thermal reduction process. In the carbon/antimony composites, antimony nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed in the pyrolyzed nanoporous carbon matrix. As an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries, the C/Sb10 composite displays a high initial discharge capacity of 1214.6 mAh g^?1 and a reversible charge capacity of 595.5 mAh g^?1 with a corresponding coulombic efficiency of 49 % in the first cycle. In addition, it exhibits a high reversible discharge capacity of 466.2 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 100 mA g^?1 after 200 cycles and a high rate discharge capacity of 354.4 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 1000 mA g^?1. The excellent cycling stability and rate discharge performance of the C/Sb10 composite could be due to the uniform dispersion of antimony nanoparticles in the porous carbon matrix, which can buffer the volume expansion and maintain the integrity of the electrode during the charge–discharge cycles.     

Polyurethane-TiO2 nanocomposite coatings from sunflower- oil-based amide diol as soft segment

Abstract

Vegetable oil based environmentally friendly polyurethane-TiO₂ nanocomposite coatings have been synthesized by using sunflower oil derived diol, toluene diisocyanate and TiO₂ nanoparticles. The chemical structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR techniques while physico-chemical testing was carried out by standard laboratory methods. Physico-mechanical and anticorrosive tests of the coatings (in different corrosive media) have been investigated by standard methods. In addition to this the morphology and thermal stability behavior of the coatings have been carefully investigated by different techniques like XRD, TEM, TGA/DTG and DSC. The comparison of the performance of nanocomposites with the respective virgin polyurethane coatings reveals that the dispersion of nanoTiO₂ enhanced the mechanical, corrosion and thermal stability behavior of the polymer. The synthesized nanocomposites can be used safely upto 250–275?°C. These sunflower oil derived polyurethane nanocomposites can be used in the world of protective coatings, as an alternative of petroleum derived corrosion protective coating materials.