The thermal properties of shape-stabilized fatty acid mixtures used for wallboard

Abstract

In this paper, four kinds of shape-stabilized phase-change material (PCM), consisting of fatty acid binary mixtures and high-density polyethylene (HDP), were prepared and studied. The fatty acid binary mixtures used in the experiment are CA (20%)–MA (80%), CA (20%)–LA (80%), CA (30%)–PA (70%) and CA (30%)–SA (70%), and they are not eutectic mixtures. HDP was mixed in proportions of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% and 90% with fatty acid mixtures. The phase-change temperatures, the phase-change latent heats, and the uniformity and stability of the shape-stabilized PCMs were studied experimentally using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The results showed that the suitable mass content of fatty acid mixtures in the shape-stabilized PCM is 70%. The prepared shape-stabilized fatty acid mixtures have good stability and uniformity, and they are the ideal thermal storage materials to be used in wallboard. The results in this paper can provide references and a basis for the application and development of a PCM wall.