Novel form-stable phase change materials with enhancing crystallization rate for thermal energy storage

Abstract

Enhanced thermal conductivity form-stable phase change materials (PCMs) have attracted much attention since their stable shape and improved thermal storage efficiency, but how to balance the relationship between enthalpy and function is still a formidable challenge. In this work, the semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) structural sodium polyacrylate (PAAS)/N,N′-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) was combined with the high compatible polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/PEG/Cu nanoparticle (CuNP) by in-situ doping and radical polymerization to construct an enhanced thermal conductivity and fast crystallization system with strong form stability. The phase change enthalpy of the material was unaffected by the CuNP (112.9 J/g), on the contrary, the heating and cooling rates were enhanced by 30.36 % and 27.97 %. Moreover, the CuNP also acted as crystal nucleus to improve the crystallization rate (55.00 %). The constructed structure exhibited high resistance to cyclic thermal stress and reached the enhancement of the thermal conductivity and the form stability simultaneously.