Thermodynamic and thermal degradation kinetics analysis of coconut shell biomass based phase change material

Abstract

Phase change materials (PCMs) stores and releases thermal energy in the form of latent heat during phase transition. Though PCMs are durable in nature, they suffer commercial application owing to low thermal conductivity. Inclusion of metal and carbon based nanoparticles are typically adopted to overcome the complication of poor conducting nature of organic PCMs. In this experimental research we develop a bio based nanoparticle using coconut shell in an environmental friendly manner to enhance the thermal conductivity of organic PCM polyethylene glycol 1000. Bio nanoparticle (BNP) improves the thermal conductivity of the developed nanocomposite PCM by 73.1% with 0.9 wt% of coconut shell BNP hence we evaluate the thermodynamic and thermal kinetics parameter of the nanocomposite PCM sample with 0.9 wt% biochar based nanoparticle. In addition the authors have analysed the thermal decomposition kinetics of the optimized PCM composite using Coats and Redfern method to exhibit the reaction mechanism, thermodynamic and kinetic parameter.