Facile microencapsulation of phase change material with organic silicon shell used for energy storage

Abstract

A novel organic silicon microencapsulated phase change materials (OS-MPCMs) was successfully designed and prepared via single-step in-situ polymerization. OS-MPCMs with n-ocadecane as core material and silicone as shell material, has excellent latent heat storage and release performance (ΔHm = 103.3J/g, ΔHc = 104.5J/g), excellent thermal stability and cycle durability of at least 200 cycles, as well as remarkable mechanical properties. The effects of core/shell ratio on morphology, thermal properties, thermal stability and mechanical properties of OS-MPCMs were further investigated. The experimental scheme was optimized and adjusted to ensure that OS-MPCMs could adapt to a more complex environment. In this study, the single-step in-situ polymerization method was adopted to simplify the synthesis process, and the self-assembly of microcapsules could be completed through one feeding. At the same time, OS-MPCMs encapsulation efficiency is improved, up to 86.45%. The raw materials used in production are simple and easy to obtain, and the production process is green and environmentally friendly. The excellent performance and simple production mode makes OS-MPCMs have an unexceptionable application prospect in the energy storage fields of energy-efficient building, thermo-regulated fabrics and so on.