Microencapsulated waste cooking oil derivatives for building thermoregulation

Abstract

The utilization of waste resources and the intelligence of building materials are of great significance to the sustainable development of human society. A novel type of microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) with a phase change heat storage capability was prepared in this paper through the suspension polymerization method using methyl palmitate (MP) derived from waste cooking oil as core materials. Meanwhile, the response of foamed concrete containing MPCM to ambient temperature change was investigated. According to the experimental findings, the MPCM's phase change temperature, phase change enthalpy, and decomposition temperature are respectively 20 °C, 68 J/g, and 215 °C, which is extremely suitable for the external walls of buildings to adjust the indoor temperature. Moreover, the particle size of the MPCM is about 100 μm-220 μm, which can fill part of the voids in foam concrete to increase its strength. Additionally, the infrared thermal imaging experiment indicates that the foam concrete containing 10 wt% MPCM can maintain 4 °C-5 °C gap with the ambient temperature, which demonstrates that the MPCM can significantly mitigate the impact of ambient temperature on buildings. The findings of the study contribute to the intellectualization of building materials and the recycling of waste resources.