Electrospun multiwall nanotubes-loaded polyethylene glycol/polyacrylonitrile composite form-stable nanofibers for thermal energy storage

Abstract

In this paper, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were introduced into PAN/PEG composite phase change nanofibers to solve the problems of low thermal conductivity and easy leakage of phase change materials. The effects of MWCNTs loadings on the microscopic morphology, structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of the electrospun PAN/PEG composite nanofibrous membranes were characterized using scanning electronic microscope (SEM), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscope (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and mechanical testing machine. The results indicated that the electrospun PAN/PEG composite nanofibers with 10 wt% MWCNTs loading had reasonable melting enthalpy (78.3 J/g), improved phase change material leakage, excellent thermal reliability and stability. Thermal energy storage and release experiments presented that 10 wt% MWCNTs-loaded nanofibrous membranes could play a good role in thermal energy modulation. Therefore, the PAN/PEG/MWCNT composite nanofibrous membranes are potential materials for thermal energy storage and temperature-regulated textile applications.