Ice templated honeycomb-like porous copper foam to improve the anisotropic thermal transfer property of phase change composites

Abstract

This study explores the use of copper foam (CF) as a thermally conductive scaffold for phase change materials (PCMs), enhancing shape stability. Employing the ice template method (ITM), we fabricate a CF with a low-density, honeycomb structure and anisotropy from flake copper powders. The resulting phase change composites (PCCs), infused with paraffin wax (PW), showcase high thermal conductivity and shape retention compared to pure PW, with anisotropic heat flow due to directional channels in the CF. With a 34.4 wt% filling ratio, the PCCs achieve axial and lateral thermal conductivities of 2.85 W m−1 K−1 and 1.51 W m−1 K−1, respectively, and a thermal storage enthalpy of 158.18 J g−1. This work presents a novel method for advanced thermal energy storage and management, indicating the promise of ITM-derived CF in high-performance PCCs for diverse applications.