Development and thermal property analysis of biobased binary composite heat storage materials

Abstract

Natural aliphatic dibasic acids are a type of bio-based material that shows promising potential as green phase change thermal storage materials due to their favorable thermophysical properties. However, these materials have been found to have issues with subcooling, low thermal conductivity, and poor temperature matching. In this study, three aliphatic dibasic acids, namely adipic acid (AA), sebacic acid (SA), and azelaic acid (ZA), were selected for further investigation. Three biobased eutectic systems, AA-SA (melting point: 118.3 °C), ZA-SA (melting point: 96.2 °C), and AA-ZA (melting point: 98.4 °C), were then prepared based on the calculation of Schrader's equation and experimental screening. The eutectic systems were thoroughly characterized, revealing thermal conductivities ranging from 0.4 to 0.5 W·m−1·K−1, with all systems exhibiting a subcooling of around 20 °C. Based on the principle of optimal overall performance, the AA-SA system was selected for modification. By incorporating Expanded graphite (EG) as a highly thermally conductive additive and nucleating agent, the AA-SA/EG composite phase change material (CPCM) was successfully prepared. This modification effectively reduced the supercooling degree of the bio-based phase change materials (PCM) and significantly improved its thermal conductivity by a factor of four. The resulting AA-SA/EG CPCM demonstrated excellent temperature suitability and has the potential to contribute to the application of bio-based phase change materials in waste heat recovery and solar energy systems. This study provides valuable insights into the development and optimization of bio-based phase change materials, contributing to the sustainable utilization of renewable resources for thermal energy storage applications.