Preparation and characterization of form-stable phase-change materials with enhanced thermal conductivity based on nano-Al2O3 modified binary fatty acids and expanded perlite

Abstract

Thermal conductivity enhanced mineral-based form-stable phase-change materials (FS-PCMs) have promising applications in energy-efficient buildings. Examining the changes in the thermal properties induced by thermally conductive fillers for applying FS-PCMs is of great significance. Herein, several FS-PCMs with enhanced thermal conductivity based on nano-Al2O3 modified binary fatty acids and expanded perlite (EP) were synthesized. The results demonstrate that nano-Al2O3 modified capric-palmitic acid (CA-PA) PCMs have ideal phase-transition enthalpy and good temperature regulation ability around 22 °C. The thermal conductivity and phase-transition enthalpy of EP/CA-PA/nano-Al2O3 FS-PCMs vary inversely with the increase in nano-Al2O3 addition. The effects of nano-Al2O3 on the microscopic morphology, thermal conductivity, phase-transition behavior, and thermal stability of EP/CA-PA/nano-Al2O3 FS-PCMs were investigated. Overall, this study promotes the potential applications of EP/CA-PA/nano-Al2O3 FS-PCMs in energy-efficient buildings and provides a strategy for enhancing the thermal conductivity of FS-PCMs.