Abstract
Microcapsules with a high amount of PRS paraffin wax encapsulated and narrow size distribution were prepared by a Shirasu porous glass (SPG) emulsification technique and a subsequent suspensionlike polymerization process. An experimental design approach, based on a central composite design, was used to determine quantitatively the effect of RepSol-YPF Paraffin (PRS) paraffin wax/styrene mass ratio (PRS/St), percentage of polyvinylpyrrolidone/styrene mass ratio (% PVP/St), and water/styrene mass ratio (H2O/St) on the phase change material (PCM) microcapsules properties. The % PVP/St mass ratio was the most important parameter affecting the particle size distribution. The thermal energy storage of microcapsules increases with the PRS/ St mass ratio used. The following synthesis conditions, mass ratios PRS/St of 1.02, % PVP/St of 9.43, and H2O/St of 8.23, allowed the the proper main particle size in number (4.80 µm) for fabrics applications containing the maximum phase change material encapsulated with a latent heat of 102.42 J/g to be achieved. 1. Introduction Phase change materials (PCMs) are a series of functional materials with storing and realizing energy properties when experiencing a phase transition. The PCM material confinement by microencapsulation facilitates their incorporation into a wide variety of applications such as in fibers, fabrics, coatings, physiotherapy devices, insulation panels, and walls. 1 The textile industry has been slow to react to the possibilities of microencapsulation, although in the early 1980s phase change materials were used by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with the aim of managing the thermal barrier properties of space suits. 2 The number of commercial applications of microencapsulation of PCMs in the textile industry continues to grow into textiles with new properties and added value, for instance, medical textiles and technical textiles. Textiles containing PCMs help to counteract cold and overheating; in general, this effect can be described as thermoregulation. For use in textile materials, an appropriate particle size should range from 0.5 to 100 µm. 3 Colvin and Bryant 4 used microcapsules containing PCMs of 30-100 µm for textile fibers, composites, and foams. Pause 5 made PCM microcapsules of 1-60 µm for nonwoven protective garments with thermoregulating properties. Shin et al. 6 prepared microcapsules
Published Version
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