Thermal conductivity enhancement of Ag nanowires on an organic phase change material

One of the greatest challenges in the application of organic phase change materials (PCMs) is to increase their thermal conductivity while maintaining high phase change enthalpy. 1-Tetradecanol/Ag nanowires composite PCM containing 62.73 wt% (about 11.8 vol%) of Ag nanowires showed remarkably high thermal conductivity (1.46 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹) and reasonably high phase change enthalpy (76.5 J g⁻¹). This behavior was attributed to the high aspect ratio of Ag nanowires, few thermal conduct interfaces, and high interface thermal conductivity of Ag nanowires in the composite PCM. These results indicated that Ag nanowires might be strong candidates for thermal conductivity enhancement of organic PCMs.     

Polyaniline/1-tetradecanol composites

Polyaniline (PANI)/1-tetradecanol (TD) composite materials, a kind of novel composite that can conduct electricity and store thermal energy at the same time, thus possess the ability to endure certain heat shock, were prepared for the first time. FTIR and XRD results showed that there were some interactions existed between PANI and TD. The thermal stability of the composites exhibited both the characteristics of PANI and TD. The DSC experiments showed that the highest phase change enthalpy of the composites could be as 73% as that of TD, indicating it was a good form-stable phase change material. The thermal conductivity of the composites was also improved. The AC (Alternating Current) conductivity of the composites was enhanced to close to that of PANI when the mass fraction of PANI in the composite was increased to 46%. Heat shock experiments showed that the heat shock resistibility of the composite was greatly improved comparing to that of pure PANI.     

Thermal properties of the graphite/n-docosane composite PCM

Graphite/n-docosane composite phase change materials (PCM) were prepared. 4, 10, and 16% graphite were added into n-docosane in order to study the effect of the amount of graphite to the thermal properties of the composite PCM. The structure of the composite PCM was characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The thermal properties of the composite PCM were determined using thermal constant analysis, heat storage/release curve, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetry analysis. The results revealed that the heat storage/release rate and the thermal conductivity increased with an increase in the amount of graphite, whereas the latent heat of the composite PCM decreased with the increase in the amount of graphite.     

Effects of MWNTs on phase change enthalpy and thermal conductivity of a solid-liquid organic PCM

The effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on the phase change enthalpy (ΔH) and the thermal conductivity (κ) of a solid-liquid phase change materials (PCM), palmitic acid (PA), have been investigated. The results showed that both the ΔH and the κ of the composite were lower than that of PA when the loading of MWNTs was small. As the concentration of MWNTs in the composites increased, the ΔH of the composites was slightly improved and then decreased linearly. However, the κ of the composites was monotonously increased from the minimum value. When the loading of MWNTs increased to 5% and no surfactant was added, the κ of the composite was enhanced to be 26% higher than that of PA. The κ of the composite could be enhanced by CTAB instead of SDBS when the loading of MWNTs was small, as SDBS showed no obvious effect on the κ of the composites. Furthermore, the effects of surface modification of MWNTs on the ΔH and the κ of the composites have also been investigated.     

Synthesis of the polyethylene glycol solid-solid phase change materials with a functionalized graphene oxide for thermal energy storage

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a phase change material possesses three obstacles, such as leakage, low thermal conductivity and low thermal stability. A novel solid-solid phase change material (PCM) based on functionalized graphene oxide (GO), Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was prepared, and the three obstacles of PEG as a PCM was solved in one and the same material. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman and Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and thermogravimetric analysis/infrared spectrometry (TG-IR) were used to study the properties of supporting material and composite PCM (CPCM). The results indicated that the PEG was grafted on the surface of the supporting material; Compared with pure PEG, the latent heat of CPCM with 9.6 wt% supporting material decreased only 5.3%, however, the thermal conductivity of CPCM increased 111% and the heat peak release rate of CPCM decreased 33.4%.     

Preparation and investigation on tetradecanol and myristic acid/cellulose form-stable phase change material

In this paper, a novel form-stable phase change material (FS PCM) was prepared by incorporating the eutectic mixture of tetradecanol (TD) and myristic acid (MA) into the hydroxylpropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). HPMC is used as support material, and the eutectic mixture is used as phase change material. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the chemical structure, crystallization behavior and morphology of the FS PCM, respectively. FT-IR, XRD and SEM showed that the TD–MA was distributed uniformly in HPMC by physical interaction. Specific surface area (BET) and pore size analysis determined the pore characteristics of the composite, and the results showed the porosity of HPMC. The thermal properties, thermal stability and thermal reliability were detected by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), thermal cycling test and leakage test. The TG, DSC and leakage analysis results revealed that the absorption of eutectic mixture into HPMC is nearly 50% and without seepage from the composite. The peak temperatures of melting and solidifying were 34.61 and 31.09 °C, and latent heat was 102.11/84.58 J g^?1 by DSC. TG and cycling experiment detected that the FS PCM showed good thermal stability and reliability performance.     

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.     

Effect of filler loading,geometry, dispersion and temperature on thermal conductivity of polymer nanocomposites

Using a unidirectional heat transfer apparatus, the roles of nanoparticle geometry, loading, dispersion and temperature on the thermal conductivity of polymer nanocomposites are investigated. The polymer nanocomposites (PNC) consist of epoxy matrices filled with silica nanopowder and carbon nanotubes, respectively, as well as poly (2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) matrices loaded with silica nanoparticles. First, it is shown that thermal conductivity generally increases with nanofiller loading. These results are also reasonably described by the three phase Lewis-Nielsen or Halpin-Tsai analytical models. More importantly, it has been also demonstrated that the thermal conductivity of the polymer nanocomposites greatly depends on the dispersion state of the nanofillers. Furthermore, the effect of temperature on the thermal behavior of PNCs is briefly discussed. These results emphasize the important role of nanoparticles content and dispersion state on the thermal characteristics of polymer nanocomposites, which can be used to design composite materials with tunable thermal behavior.     

Preparation and characterization of form-stable tetradecanol–palmitic acid expanded perlite composites containing carbon fiber for thermal energy storage

In this study, tetradecanol–palmitic acid/expanded perlite composites containing carbon fiber (TD-PA/EP-CF CPCMs) were prepared by a vacuum impregnation method. Binary eutectic mixtures of PA and TD were utilized as thermal energy storage material in the composites, where EP behaved as supporting material. X-ray diffraction demonstrated that crystal structures of PA, TD, EP, and CF remained unchanged, confirming no chemical interactions among raw materials besides physical combinations. The microstructures indicated that TD-PA was sufficiently absorbed into EP porous structure, forming no leakage even in molten state. Differential scanning calorimetry estimated the melting temperature of TD-PA/EP-CF CPCM to 33.6 °C, with high phase change latent heat (PCLH) of 138.3 kJ kg⁻¹. Also, the freezing temperature was estimated at 29.7 °C, with PCLH of 137.5 kJ kg⁻¹. The thermal cycling measurements showed that PCM composite had adequate stability even after 200 melting/freezing cycles. Moreover, the thermal conductivity enhanced from 0.48 to 1.081 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ in the presence of CF. Overall, the proposed CPCMs look promising materials for future applications due to their appropriate phase change temperature, elevated PCLH, and better thermal stability.

     

Preparation and thermal properties of palmitic acid/polyaniline/copper nanowires form-stable phase change materials

Form-stable phase change materials (PCMs) with high thermal conductivity are essential for thermal energy storage systems, which in turn are indispensible in solar thermal energy applications and efficient use of energy. In this paper, a new palmitic acid (PA)/polyaniline (PANI) form-stable PCMs were prepared by surface polymerization. The highest loading of PA in the form-stable PCMs was 80 mass% with the phase change enthalpy (ΔH _melting) of 175 J g^?1. Copper nanowires (Cu NWs) were introduced to the form-stable PCM by mixing the Cu NWs with PA and ethanol prior to the emulsifying of PA in surfactant solution. The Cu NWs would remain intact in case the ethanol was eliminated before the PA/Cu NWs mixture was mixed with surfactant solution. Otherwise, the Cu NWs would be partially oxidized under the attack of ethanol and ammonium persulfate. The ΔH _melting of the form-stable PCMs containing Cu NWs decreased linearly with the increasing of Cu NWs loading. The ΔH _melting of the form-stable PCMs doped with 11.2 mass% Cu NWs was 149 J g^?1. The thermal conductivity of the form-stable PCMs could be effectively improved by Cu NWs. By adding 11.2 mass% Cu NWs, the thermal conductivity of the form-stable PCM could attain 0.455 W m^?1 K^?1.     

Impregnation of a porous material with a PCM on a cotton fabric and the effect of vacuum on thermo-regulating textiles

The purpose of this study was the preparation of a form-stable composite phase change material (PCM) by incorporation of n-nonadecane within the expanded dolomite (ED). In this investigation, two approaches called impregnation treatment with vacuuming and impregnation by magnetic stirrer were used. This method was first proposed for textile thermal protection. In this method, n-nonadecane was applied as the phase change material and ED as the supporting in order to prepare and construct the composite PCM. Composite properties were determined by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscope and scanning electronic microscope (SEM) techniques and the heat transfer measurement and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) were used to determine the thermal properties of composite on fabrics. Also, moisture transfer properties were measured. The SEM results showed that the n-nonadecane was well absorbed in the porous network of the ED. DSC analysis and heat transfer also indicated that fabric temperature range for the amount of coated PCM depends on its area; further, by adding composite to the fabric surface, thermal transfer could be reduced. The maximum percentages of n-nonadecane within ED in the composite PCM1 and PCM2 were measured to be about 90 and 70 mass%, respectively. Thus, the composite PCM1 can be considered as a form-stable composite change phase materials.     

Thermal conductivity of microPCMs-filled epoxy matrix composites

Microencapsulated phase change materials (microPCMs) have been widely applied in solid matrix as thermal-storage or temperature-controlling functional composites. The thermal conductivity of these microPCMs/matrix composites is an important property need to be considered. In this study, a series of microPCMs have been fabricated using the in situ polymerization with various core/shell ratio and average diameter; the thermal conductivity of microPCMs/epoxy composites were investigated in details. The results show that the microPCMs have smooth surface and regular global shape with compact methanol–melamine–formaldehyde shell. The shell thickness does not greatly influence the phase change behaviors of PCM. Moreover, smaller microPCMs embedded in epoxy can improve the thermal transmission ability of composites. The effect of thermal conductivity of composites can be improved with higher volume fraction (10–30%) of microPCMs; and smaller size microPCMs with the same content of PCM may also enhance the thermal transmission area in matrix. Modeling analysis of relative thermal conductivity indicates that mixing higher thermal conductivity additive in PCM or matrix is an appropriate method to improve the thermal conductivity of microPCMs/matrix composites.     

The effect of diameter on the thermal properties of the modeled shape-stabilized phase change nanofibers (PCNs)

The main objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of diameter on thermal properties of phase change fibers at nanoscale in order to develop a shape-stabilized phase change material (PCM). In this regard, polyethylene glycol/cellulose acetate (PEG/CA) electrospun nanofibers as a model of PCM/polymer structure were electrospun. The electrospinning process was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to produce phase change nanofibers (PCNs) with achievable minimum and maximum diameter at nanoscale range. Therefore, PCNs with minimum and maximum diameter (223 nm and 545 nm, respectively) were successfully prepared. According to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results, the PCNs sample with maximum diameter exhibited higher efficiency of enthalpy (49.41 %) than the PCNs sample with minimum diameter (46.24 %). On the other hand, a test based on the T-history method revealed that PCNs with maximum diameter enjoy higher thermal insulation effect. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as DSC results showed that the PCNs samples exposed to thermal cycling test not only preserved their structural durability, but also exhibited about twofold increasing in the efficiency of enthalpy than the non-exposed samples. According to thermogravimetric analysis (TG) results, due to successful entrapping, a fraction of PCMs within the structure of polymer matrix, PCNs sample display greater thermal stability comparing to the pure PCM. The present work emphasises that at nanoscale range, higher diameter of PCNs can present more favorable thermal behavior; suggesting a great potential for advanced applications of thermal energy storage and thermal regulating materials fields.     

An investigation of melting/freezing characteristics of nanoparticle-enhanced phase change materials

The aim of this study is to investigate the melting/freezing characteristics of paraffin by adding Cu nanoparticles. Cu/paraffin composite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared by a two-step method. The effects of Cu nanoparticles on the thermal conductivity and the phase change heat transfer of PCMs were investigated by the Hot Disk thermal constants analyzer and infrared monitoring methods, respectively. The maximum thermal conductivity enhancements up to 14.2% in solid state and 18.1% in liquid state are observed at the 2?wt% Cu/paraffin. The photographs of infrared monitoring suggest that the melting and freezing rates of Cu/paraffin are enhanced. For 1?wt% Cu/paraffin, the melting and freezing times can be saved by about 33.3 and 31.6%, respectively. The results provide that adding nanoparticles is an efficient way to enhance the phase change heat transfer of PCMs.     

Study on thermal properties of organic ester phase-change material embedded with silver nanoparticles

This study investigates the thermal properties of new silver nano-based organic ester (SNOE) phase-change material (PCM) in terms of latent heat capacity, thermal conductivity and heat storage and release capabilities experimentally. Spherical-shaped surface-functionalized crystalline silver nanoparticles (AgNP) prepared were embedded in mass proportions of 0.1 through 5.0 wt% into the pure (base) PCM. Experimental results reveal that dispersion of AgNP into PCM was effective, only physical and no chemical interaction between AgNP and PCM has been exhibited; thereby phase-change temperature of SNOE PCMs were acceptable. These are essential characteristics for SNOE PCMs which signified their thermal and chemical stability on long term. Test results suggest that while compared to pure PCM, degree of supercooling was reduced by 11.7–6.8 % for aforesaid mass proportions of AgNP, whereas latent heat capacities decreased by 7.88 % in freezing and 8.91 % in melting. The interdependencies between thermophysical properties in improving nucleation and growth rate of stable SNOE PCM crystals were signified and discussed. Thermal conductivity of SNOE PCMs were enhanced from 0.284 to 0.765 W m^?1 K^?1 which was expected to be a 10–67 % increase for the above mass loading of AgNP. Furthermore, for SNOE PCMs enhancement span in freezing and melting cycles was improved by 41 and 45.6 %, respectively. Similarly, cooling and melting times were reduced by 30.8 and 11.3 %, respectively. Embedded AgNP helps to achieve improved thermophysical and heat storage characteristics for SNOE PCMs, which in turn can be considered as a potential candidate for cool thermal energy storage applications.     

聚乙二醇/氮化硼复合材料相变导热性能及其结晶行为

本文采用熔融共混浇筑的方法制备了聚乙二醇/氮化硼(PEG/BN)相变复合材料,并研究了不同尺度片状BN对相变复合材料导热性能和结晶行为的影响。 通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、热常数分析仪、红外热成像分析仪和差示扫描量热仪(DSC)研究了相变复合材料的微观形貌、导热系数和相变过程,并利用莫志深法对DSC结果进行了非等温结晶动力学分析。 结果表明,较大片状直径(50 μm)的BN可以更有效地提高聚乙二醇的导热系数,当BN填料质量分数为40%时,相变复合材料的导热系数可达到5.04 W/(m·K)。 在快速降温条件下,片径为50 μm的BN填料可以缩短PEG的半结晶时间,提高结晶速率,使相变复合材料具有较大的相变焓。     

高结构稳定性、低泄漏率三维铜@石墨烯复合相变材料的制备

由于能源消费需求的持续增长和传统化学燃料的日益枯竭,对可再生能源的需求日益迫切。以地热能、太阳能为代表的可再生能源脱颖而出。然而,这些能源的应用易受到天气、季节、地点和时间的影响,具有不稳定性、随机性、波动性和间歇性。储能技术是解决上述问题的有效途径,它可以在需要的时候储存或释放能量。在各种储能技术可选材料中,相变材料(PCMs)是智能热能管理和便携式热能领域的有力候选者。大多数相变材料都存在导热系数低、环境污染、熔点泄漏等问题,因此有必要将相变材料封装到支撑骨架材料中。事实上,支撑材料在应用中仍面临着一些重大挑战。首先,骨架材料应能抵抗相变材料在相变过程中的体积变化,即具有良好的结构稳定性。其次,还应具有较高的导热系数和较低的泄漏率。石墨烯气凝胶(GA)已被证明是提高相变材料形状稳定性的有效支撑骨架,但相变引起的泄漏和网络结构的脆性是制约其应用的关键问题。在此,我们提出了一种双脉冲电镀的强化策略,用于制备铜@石墨烯气凝胶(Cu@GA)作为相变储能骨架材料。这一结构设计中,石墨烯气凝胶上的石墨烯片层上均匀地镀上了铜层,且不同片之间被铜镀层所连接。这种铜增强石墨烯气凝胶网络结构赋予复合材料良好的导热性和坚固的骨架稳定性,有利于增强相变换热和抑制相变过程中的泄漏。此外,通过真空浸渍法将十八胺(ODA)封装在Cu@GA骨架中,获得了结构稳定性高、泄漏率低的复合相变材料(Cu@GA/ODA),保证了ODA在Cu@GA骨架材料中的均匀分散和填充。通过比较复合相变材料的重量变化,研究了不同骨架对复合相变材料泄漏率的影响。优化后的复合相变材料(CPCM)Cu@GA/ODA经20次储热、放热循环后,泄漏率降低至19.82% (w,质量分数),而GA/ODA和GOA/ODA为骨架的复合相变材料的泄漏率分别为80.31% (w)和72.99% (w)。为了探讨这种影响的原因,用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察了循环后骨架的形貌。铜/石墨烯气凝胶(Cu@GA)骨架材料没有明显的收缩或坍塌,仍可以保持完整的三维网络结构,而氧化石墨烯气凝胶(GOA)和石墨烯气凝胶(GA)的骨架材料三维结构不复存在,且在氧化石墨烯/石墨烯片能够观察到明显的裂隙。铜涂层可以提高骨架的微观结构稳定性,有利于提高结构稳定性,降低复合材料的泄漏率。同时,该研究为构建理想的金属增强石墨烯气凝胶复合骨架材料铺平了新的道路,该复合材料具有优异的综合性能,可用于未来的相变储能、多孔微波吸收和储能应用。     

One-step synthesis of CuS-decorated MWCNTs/paraffin composite phase change materials and their light–heat conversion performance

Paraffin wax (PW) is a solid–liquid organic phase change material (PCM). However, the low thermal conductivity and poor light–heat conversion performance limit its feasibility in solar thermal storage applications. In this paper, CuS-decorated carboxyl multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/PW light–heat conversion composite PCMs were prepared by one step. The structure and properties of the composite PCMs were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis, coefficient of thermal conductivity, UV–visible–near infrared spectrometer and light–heat conversion testing. The results showed that the light–heat conversion performance of CuS–MWCNTs/PW composite PCMs were better than that of MWCNT/PW composite PCMs with the same mass fraction. Therefore, it is expected that this research will open up new avenues of study for the creation of advanced composite PCM with excellent light–heat conversion performance.     

Polyaniline/Silver Nanoparticle-Doped Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Composites

A simple method was used to synthesize the hybrid nanocomposites consisting of the functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube composites (MWCNTs) with the polyaniline incorporated silver nanoparticles (a-MWCNT/PANI-Ag) through an emulsion polymerization at room temperature in order to enhance the electrical conductivity of polyaniline. The electrical conductivity of the composite with the incorporated Ag nanoparticles was 5% higher than the same weight percent for the composite without Ag nanoparticles, and the thermal stability was dramatically increased from 54% for the composite (a-MWCNT/PANI) to 69% through the incorporation of the Ag nanoparticles at 830°C. Additionally, the advantages of the Ag nanoparticles, including the improved electrical and thermal properties without damage to the polyaniline structure, were confirmed using FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.     

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...