Examining the Thermophysical Impact of Low Concentrated Nanoparticles Hexagonal Boron Nitride Embedded in Phase Change Material for Photo to Thermal Energy Conversion

Abstract

Phase change materials (PCMs) have garnered substantial interest for their use in thermal energy storage. However, restricted thermal conductivity of PCMs hinders their effectiveness in application. The objective of this work is to integrate hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) in low concentration with RT38 PCM for thermophysical characterization and photo to thermal energy conversion. The composites are prepared by adding 0.03–0.07 weight percent (wt%) nanoparticles with RT38 PCM through two‐step technique. As per the results, prepared samples remain chemically and thermally stable. Besides, addition of 0.05 wt% of h‐BN nanoparticles with PCM (RT38‐0.05) enhances thermal conductivity to 43%. Additionally, latent heat of melting remains at 137 Jg−1 for 0.05 wt% nanoparticle integrated nanocomposite in comparison to base 140 Jg−1 with slight variation in its melting temperatures. Further, PCM and nanocomposites exhibit zero weight degradation on thermal‐stability analysis up to 160 °C. The research examines thermal energy storage behaviour of base PCM and RT38‐0.05 nanocomposite by applying 800 Wm−2 irradiations. The analysis shows that RT38‐0.05 nanocomposite reaches 49 °C in 9 min, whereas base PCM achieves 43 °C. Thus, the integration of h‐BN nanoparticles in PCM results in improved thermophysical properties and greater conversion of photo to thermal energy.