Fabrication and evaluating thermophysical properties of microencapsulated organic and eutectic phase change material

Abstract

This study explores the synthesis and characterization of microencapsulation of organic and eutectic phase change materials with a melting point ranging from 5 to 30 ℃ for low-temperature applications. Emulsion polymerization utilizing methyl methacrylate monomer as the shell material is employed for effective encapsulation. Comprehensive characterization of microcapsules is undertaken, including chemical composition (using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy), morphology (employing scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and metallurgical microscope), particle size distribution (measured by ImageJ software), enthalpy (evaluated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)) and thermal degradation (explored via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)). The successful production of microencapsulated phase change materials (MPCM) is confirmed by their two-phase decomposition process, the presence of specific chemical bonds, and the spherical morphology of particles with an average diameter between 25.63 and 49.62 μm. However, in the case of eutectic core material, irregular microcapsules are shaped with a larger mean diameter. It has also affected the encapsulation efficiency in which around 29.43% and 30.1% efficiencies are reached for eutectic cores compared to 45.11% and 47% in organic ones. Simultaneously, thermophysical properties of MPCMs, such as density, thermal conductivity, and specific heat, are determined using the displacement method, transient line heat source, transient hot wire, and DSC. These properties are expressed through regression equations based on the determined effective factors. The derived equations enhance the capability to implement MPCMs in practical applications and numerical simulations.