The investigation of thermal conductivity and energy storage properties of graphite/paraffin composites

Phase change materials (PCM) have been extensively scrutinized for their widely application in thermal energy storage (TES). Paraffin was considered to be one of the most prospective PCMs with perfect properties. However, lower thermal conductivity hinders the further application. In this letter, we experimentally investigate the thermal conductivity and energy storage of composites consisting of paraffin and micron-size graphite flakes (MSGFs). The results strongly suggested that the thermal conductivity enhances enormously with increasing the mass fraction of the MSGFs. The formation of heat flow network is the key factor for high thermal conductivity in this case. Meanwhile, compared to that of the thermal conductivity, the latent heat capacity, the melting temperature, and the freezing temperature of the composites present negligible change with increasing the concentration of the MSGFs. The paraffin-based composites have great potential for energy storage application with optimal fraction of the MSGFs.     

Development of Novel Polypropylene Syntactic Foams Containing Paraffin Microcapsules for Thermal Energy Storage Applications

polypropylene (PP) syntactic foams (SFs) containing hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) possess low density and elevated mechanical properties, which can be tuned according to the specific application. A possible way to improve their multifunctionality could be the incorporation of organic Phase Change Materials (PCMs), widely used for thermal energy storage (TES) applications. In the present work, a PCM constituted by encapsulated paraffin, having a melting temperature of 57 °C, was embedded in a compatibilized polypropylene SF by melt compounding and hot pressing at different relative amounts. The rheological, morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of the prepared materials were systematically investigated. Rheological properties in the molten state were strongly affected by the introduction of both PCMs and HGMs. As expected, the introduction of HGMs reduced both the foam density and thermal conductivity, while the enthalpy of fusion (representing the TES capability) was proportional to the PCM concentration. The mechanical properties of these foams were improved by the incorporation of HGMs, while they were reduced by addition of PCMs. Therefore, the combination of PCMs and HGMs in a PP matrix generated multifunctional materials with tunable thermo-mechanical properties, with a wide range of applications in the automotive, oil, textile, electronics, and aerospace fields.     

Stabilizing contact angle hysteresis of paraffin wax surfaces with nanoclay

The addition of montmorillonite clay modified with an alkylammonium salt surfactant (i.e., organoclay) to paraffin wax is found to reduce the decay in wetting properties associated with its heating in the melt. It was previously shown that holding wax in its molten form prior to characterization reduces crystallinity when the solid forms. This results in the development of microscale amorphous regions at wax surfaces, which appear to be more polar given the abundance of methylene linkages versus methyl groups. These regions are believed to impact the receding angles for more polar liquids almost exclusively. It is known that the introduction and exfoliation of a small amount of the organoclay greatly enhances the stiffness, strength, and toughness of paraffin wax. Here, it is shown that the organoclay also promotes the formation of coatings possessing fewer thermal cracks and helps maintain higher crystallinity levels. Fresh wax surfaces containing the clay are slightly rougher than those without, which produces a slight increase in hysteresis. However, the significant drops in receding angles found for paraffin wax samples cast from the melt subsequent to heating are absent.     

Detection of joint capsule changes by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in different types of hip disorders to evaluate surgical techniques (a preliminary report)

In this study, paraffin-/ultrasonic-treated diatomite was characterized for use as phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage in buildings. The diatomite was treated with ultrasound at various periods of time. The diatomite treated with ultrasound for 60 min (DA-60) was the optimum condition providing the highest surface area without structural degradation. The melting point and latent heat of the paraffin/DA-60 composite PCM were 59 °C and 45.90 J g^?1, respectively. The obtained form-stable PCM had good thermal reliability after 500 cycles of thermal cycling test. The thermal performance of PCM was tested by incorporating the paraffin/DA-60 composite PCM into gypsum board. The results showed that the gypsum board containing the paraffin/DA-60 composite PCM had better thermal energy absorption and release characteristics than those of the control sample. The incorporation of paraffin/DA-60 composite PCM into suitable building materials could thus considerably reduce the energy consumption of cooling system in buildings.     

Application of PCM thermal energy storage system to reduce building energy consumption

The building sector is known to make a large contribution to total energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Phase change materials (PCMs) have been considered for thermal energy storage (TES) in buildings. They can balance out the discrepancies between energy demand and energy supply, which are temporally out of phase. However, traditional PCMs need special latent storage devices or containers to encapsulate the PCM, in order to store and release the latent heat of the PCM. The proper design of TES systems using a PCM requires quantitative information and knowledge about the heat transfer and phase change processes in the PCM. In Korea, radiant floor heating systems, which have traditionally been used in residential buildings, consume approximately 55% of the total residential building energy consumption in heating. This article reviews the development of available latent heat thermal energy storage technologies and discusses PCM application methods for residential building using radiant floor heating systems with the goal of reducing energy consumption.     

UNIQUAC model for wax solution with pour point depressant

It had been shown that after adding pour point depressant (PPD), the diffraction line intensities of paraffin mixtures progressively decreased without any significant variation of the Bragg angle values. This phenomena is due to the structure of paraffin mixture is partly transformed from orthorhombic into hexagonal form. Owing to the crystal lattice transformation, the amount of wax precipitated from oil treated with PPD in the experimental range is lower than that from untreated oil and the wax precipitated from treated oil is richer in the higher melting point paraffins than that from untreated oil. A thermodynamic model is established in this work to predict these experimental results. The liquid phase behavior is described by the LCVM mixing rule and an equation of state-G^E model while the solid-phase non-ideality is represented by the UNIQUAC equation, respectively. New correlations for the melting points and solid–solid transition temperatures of treated paraffins are established based on the experimental results by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The experimental results indicated that the melting points and solid–solid transition temperatures of treated paraffins were both decreased. The calculation results for the amount and composition of wax precipitated from treated and untreated solutions at different temperatures have been compared with experimental observations. It has been shown that the predicted results agree well with the experimental ones.     

A relation between surface temperature and time for a phase change process with a convective boundary condition

We present a simple relation tetween the wall temperature T_wall of a semi-infinite phase change material (PCM) slab and the time when this temperature is attained during a melting process with a convective boundary condition. An example of its use is given for a paraffin wax PCM.     

A cost-effective form-stable PCM composite with modified paraffin and expanded perlite for thermal energy storage in concrete

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - High thermal conductivity in phase change materials (PCM) is preferred in thermal energy storage (TES) systems. Carbon additives are considered as...     

Study of effect of Al and Cu microparticles dispersed in D-Mannitol PCM for effective solar thermal energy storage

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - A practical use of phase change material (PCM)-based thermal energy storage (TES) system is effectively employed for mitigating the imbalance between...     

Polypropylene as a potential matrix for the creation of shape stabilized phase change materials

Phase change materials, based on isotactic polypropylene (PP) blended with soft and hard Fischer−Tropsch paraffin wax respectively, were studied in this paper. DSC, DMA, TGA and SEM were used to determine the structure and properties of the blends. While paraffin waxes in the blend changed state from solid to liquid, the PP matrix kept the material in a compact shape. Strong phase separation was observed in both cases, which was more pronounced in the case of soft paraffin wax. Despite the fact that both grades of paraffin wax are not miscible with PP due to different crystalline structures, it was shown that the hard Fischer−Tropsch paraffin wax is more compatible with PP than the soft one. Both waxes plasticized the PP matrix. TGA showed that PP blended with the hard Fischer−Tropsch wax degrades in just one step, whereas blends containing soft paraffin wax degrade in two distinguishable steps. SEM exposed a completely different morphology for the two paraffin waxes and confirmed the lower compatibility of PP and soft paraffin wax. The soft and hard characters of the waxes were manifested in the viscoelastic properties, where the blends containing soft paraffin wax exhibited a lower elastic modulus than pure polypropylene, whereas the hard Fisher−Tropsch paraffin wax solidified the matrix. However, both kinds of blends were able to sustain the dynamic forces applied by the DMA within five cycle runs implying good shape stability.     

Slurries and emulsions of waxy and heavy crude oils for pipeline transportation of crude oil

The high viscosity of many asphaltic crude oils and the high pour points of many waxy crude oils present significant problems in their transportation over long distances by pipeline and tanker. While heating the oils and insulating the pipelines will help alleviate the problem, there is danger associated with an extended shutdown of flow and either congealing or solidification of the oil. A possible solution which we have studied in the laboratory is the emulsification or dispersion of the oil in water or brine so that shear takes place in the continuous aqueous phase rather than the oil droplets or particles.Synthetic waxy crude oils were prepared by dissolving paraffin wax in white mineral oil at slightly elevated temperatures and then measuring the pour point. One containing 30% wax had a pour point of 43°C and was selected for preparations of the dispersions. This was emulsified in water at a temperature higher than the pour point by using a suitable surfactant as an emulsifying agent. Rheological properties were measured at various temperatures and are reported in the paper. The method shows great promise for use in countries such as China which produce significant quantities of waxy crude oil and have seasonal temperatures significantly lower than the pour point of the crude oil.     

Preparation and thermal properties of expanded graphite/paraffin/organic montmorillonite composite phase change material

Expanded graphite (EG)/paraffin/organic montmorillonite (OMMT) composite phase change material (PCM) was prepared by using melt intercalation method. The microstructure of EG/paraffin/OMMT is observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The thermal properties are investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The mass loss of EG/paraffin/OMMT after 50 heating cycles was measured for investigating the influence of EG and OMMT on the thermal properties of paraffin. The results show that EG and OMMT have the ability of adsorption and shape-stability. The melting point EG/paraffin/OMMT is decreased slightly with an addition of paraffin and the latent heat of EG/paraffin/OMMT is determined by the mass ratio of paraffin. The heat transfer efficiency of EG/paraffin/OMMT is strengthened and the heating time is decreased to one-sixth of that of paraffin by addition of EG and OMMT. The thermal stability of EG/paraffin/OMMT is improved by addition of OMMT.     

Influence of operation conditions on the microencapsulation of PCMs by means of suspension-like polymerization

Microcapsules containing PRS® paraffin wax (core) and a polystyrene shell were prepared by suspension-like polymerization. The influence of reaction temperature, stirring rate, and mass ratio of paraffin wax to styrene on the properties of phase change materials microcapsules was studied. The reaction temperature had not a significant effect on the size of the microcapsules but an increase of molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution of polystyrene shell were observed when reaction temperature was increased. An exponential relationship between the stirring rate and the mean particle diameter in number has been found. It was observed that paraffin is difficultly encapsulated when the paraffin/polymer mass ratio was higher than 2.00, as a consequence of a shortage of polymer that could not completely cover the amount of paraffin added. However, when a large proportion of monomer was employed, the polymer tended to polymerize inside the droplets during the microencapsulation process forming complex inner structures. The microcapsules obtained have an interesting energy storage capacity of 153.5 J/g that makes them suitable for different applications.     

Self‐Replenishable Anti‐Waxing Organogel Materials

Solid deposition, such as the formation of ice on outdoor facilities, the deposition of scale in water reservoirs, the sedimentation of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) in sewer systems, and the precipitation of wax in petroleum pipelines, cause a serious waste of resources and irreversible environmental pollution. Inspired by fish and pitcher plants, we present a self‐replenishable organogel material which shows ultra‐low adhesion to solidified paraffin wax and crude oil by absorption of low‐molar‐mass oil from its crude‐oil environment. Adhesion of wax on the organogel surface was over 500 times lower than adhesion to conventional material surfaces and the wax was found to slide off under the force of gravity. This design concept of a gel with decreased adhesion to wax and oil can be extended to deal with other solid deposition problems.     

乙烯齐聚催化剂研究进展

综述了乙烯齐聚催化剂的研究进展.按照碳链的原子数目,简要介绍了α-烯烃的用途.按照后过渡金属催化剂和前过渡金属催化剂分类介绍了乙烯齐聚催化剂的研究情况,并重点介绍了乙烯三聚催化剂的研究进展,给出了部分聚合机理.文章最后介绍了α-烯烃除用乙烯齐聚催化剂方法外,还有石蜡热裂解、烷烃催化裂解、烷烃脱氢、烯烃二聚和歧化等方法制备.乙烯齐聚法所得产品线性化程度高,聚合度分布窄,分离费用低,产品质量好.在我国,石蜡裂解法为主要生产方法,因此在我国开展乙烯齐聚的研究,开发具有自主知识产权的齐聚催化剂,具有十分重要的意义.     

Formation of Pickering emulsion by use of PCM and SiC and application to preparation of hybrid microcapsules with interfacial polycondensation reaction

It was tried to form Pickering emulsion by use of paraffin wax as a phase change material (PCM) and SiC as solid powder and to apply to the preparation of the hybrid microcapsules with the interfacial polycondensation reaction. Pickering emulsion could be formed by stirring PCM and SiC in the continuous water phase. The mean diameter of PCM droplets in the (O/W) emulsion decreased with the added amount of SiC. The SiC weight adhered on the surface of PCM droplets become the maximum in the continuous phase with pH 6.8. The hybrid microcapsules with the shell made of SiC and polyurea resin film could be prepared by using Pickering emulsion. There was a critical adhesion weight of SiC, above which the hybrid microcapsules could not be formed. Thermal conductivity of hybrid microcapsules could be improved as compared with the PCM microcapsules. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dispersing different nanoparticles in paraffin wax as enhanced phase change materials

Highly conductive nanoparticles were proposed to be dispersed into phase change materials (PCMs) such as paraffin wax for heat transfer enhancement. The mixture, often referred to as nanoparticle-enhanced phase change material (NePCM), has been studied extensively for latent heat energy storage but with conflicting results. This study attempts to understand this problem by investigating the stability of NePCMs under multiple thermal (melting–solidification) cycles, which has not been well explained in previous studies. We believe that stability of a NePCM is prerequisite for any experimental investigation of its thermal properties or application. In this study, paraffin wax was chosen as the base material. Three different types of nanoparticles were tested, i.e., multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene nanoplatelets, and aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al₂O₃). The nanoparticles were dispersed into paraffin wax at varying mass fractions using mechanical dispersion methods (sonication, stirring) with and without different surfactants. Stability of different mixtures was investigated after consecutive thermal cycles performed in an environmental chamber. Significant coagulation and deposition of nanoparticles were found after a few thermal cycles regardless of the nanoparticle type, concentration, or dispersion method. Different boundary conditions in heating were also examined for their effects. None of these methods led to long-term stable NePCMs. The “negative” results from this study indicate that long-term stability of NePCM (at least for the paraffin wax and nanoparticles tested) remains a major challenge and requires further research with a multidisciplinary approach.

     

Hemispherical Solar Distiller Performance Utilizing Hybrid Storage Media,Paraffin Wax with Nanoparticles: An Experimental Study

The traditional method of obtaining fresh water for drinking is by burning fossil fuels, emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. However, renewable energy is gaining more traction since it is available free of cost for producing fresh water. In this study, Al₂O₃ nanoparticles were distributed in a phase change material (paraffin wax) that had been fixed at a hemispherical distiller water basin. Three scenarios with three hemispherical distillers were examined. A conventional hemispherical distiller (CHD), a conventional hemispherical distiller with paraffin wax as a phase change material (CHD-PCM), and a conventional hemispherical distiller with PCM partially filled with Al₂O₃ nanoparticles (CHD-N-PCM) were tested under the same climatic conditions. The experimental results showed that CHD gave a daily yield of 4.85 L/m²/day, while CHD-PCM increased the yield to up to 6.2 L/m²/day with a 27.84% daily yield enhancement. The addition of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles to paraffin wax CHD-N-PCM improved hemispherical distillate yield up to 8.3 L/m²/day with a 71.13% increase over CHD yield.     

相变蓄热材料研究进展

相变蓄热材料(恒温潜热热能储存材料)是目前最热门的功能材料之一。它在发生相变时储存、放出的热量能够帮助所在系统进行能量的储存,同时可以一定程度上缓解双方在时间、强度及地点上的不匹配程度。相变蓄热材料优点突出,其中包括在使用过程中自身温度变化较小、有很好的稳定性、储热能力较强等。此类材料对环境友好,响应了国家近年来节能环保的政策,同时也可以极大地优化所在系统的运行效率。本文综述了近年来几类相变蓄热材料的种类、特点及国内外学者应对于不同缺陷做出的改进及其应用于行业的研究现状,并对未来的发展进行了探讨与展望。     

Effects of the types of zeolites on catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis wax oil

Because zeolites play an important role in an upgrading catalyst for heavy hydrocarbons in industrial refinery processes, the effects of the zeolite type on the upgrading of pyrolysis wax oil are investigated in this study. Raw pyrolysis wax oil was obtained from the pyrolysis of municipal plastic wastes in a commercial rotary kiln pyrolysis plant (Dongmyong RPF Co.). The catalystic experiments are performed for the three different types of commercial zeolites with different physicochemical properties in a continuous fixed bed reactor at 450 °C for 1 h as a MAT(micro-activity test) method: HZSM-5 (pure), zeolite Y (HY; pure or including 20% clay) and mordenite (HM; including 20% clay or alumina) catalysts. The highest conversion of pyrolysis wax oil into light hydrocarbons such as gas products and gasoline-range hydrocarbons is obtained for the HZSM-5 catalyst among them, and the composition of liquid products is found to become in the main aromatic components due to a shape selectivity. For the case of zeolite Y(HY), medium activity and the highest fraction of branched hydrocarbons with a high octane number, as well as a high fraction of aromatic products are shown. However, the mordenite (HM) with one-dimensional pore structure shows the lowest conversion of pyrolysis wax oil into light hydrocarbons and a very high fraction of paraffin product in the liquid product like the characteristics of raw pyrolysis wax oil.