Abstract
The use of phase change materials (PCMs) is an attractive method for energy storage and utilization in building envelopes. Here, shape-stabilized phase change materials (SS-PCMs) were prepared via direct adsorption using mesoporous silica (MS) with different pore diameters as the support matrix. The leakage properties, microstructure, chemical structure, thermophysical properties, activation energy, thermal stability and thermal storage-release characteristics of paraffin and SS-PCMs were investigated. The results show that the maximum mass proportion of paraffin in SS-PCMs is 70% when the average pore diameter of mesoporous silica is 15 nm, and the phase change temperature and latent heat of the corresponding SS-PCM are 23.6 °C and 135.4 kJ/kg, respectively. No chemical reaction occurs between mesoporous silica and paraffin and the SS-PCMs exhibit high thermal stability. The high activation energy of the paraffin (70%)/MS1 SS-PCM verifies that the shape and thermal properties can be maintained stably during phase change conversions. The time required for SS-PCMs to complete the thermal storage and release process is reduced by up to 34.0% compared with that for pure paraffin, showing a decline in the thermal conductivity of SS-PCMs after the addition of mesoporous silica. Hence, the prepared paraffin/MS SS-PCMs, in particular paraffin (70%)/MS1 SS-PCM, can be used for storing thermal energy and regulating indoor temperature in buildings.
Highlights
With the rising demand for building thermal comfort and high-quality indoor thermal environment, building energy consumption has been growing continuously in recent years [1,2,3,4]
phase change materials (PCMs) are prone to leakage after melting when they are directly incorporated into building structures, which limits their wide application in building energy conservation [10,11]
To ensure that the paraffin was evenly distributed in the mesoporous silica, the beaker containing PCM composites was placed in a hot water
Summary
With the rising demand for building thermal comfort and high-quality indoor thermal environment, building energy consumption has been growing continuously in recent years [1,2,3,4]. Various environment-friendly technologies have been proposed to enhance building energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions [5,6]. Good thermal insulation and thermal mass are both essential to improve indoor thermal comfort and reduce building energy consumption. SSPCMs with low thermal conductivity are preferred for application in buildings [19]. The maximum mass fraction of eutectic hydrated salt in the composite was 50 wt.%, and the thermal conductivity of the PCM was reduced from
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