Thermophysical studies, corrosion analysis, and discharging characteristics of lauryl alcohol/lauric acid eutectic mixture as a potential phase change material for human comfort applications

Abstract

AbstractClimate change has been identified as the greatest threat of the 21st century. Recently, many cities around the world recorded their highest ever temperatures as a result of heat waves, negatively impacting several communities and livelihoods. Due to this warmer environment around the world, there has been a tremendous increase in cooling energy requirements in the last decade, particularly for human thermal comfort. It is critical to accelerate studies based on latent heat storage systems for personal comfort applications such as cooling vests that can maintain the human body temperature at a comfortable level in hot climates, which will eventually reduce the dependency of fossil fuel based energy resources to a certain extent. The purpose of this study is to conduct a thorough examination of the thermophysical properties of a eutectic phase change material (PCM) developed, which is comprised of lauryl alcohol and lauric acid, as a viable contender for human cooling applications. The melting temperature and latent heat of fusion of the eutectic combination were discovered to be 13.13°C and 164.23 J g−1, respectively, via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Four important thermophysical properties: thermal cycling, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal conductivity studies were conducted, and the results obtained ascertain the material's suitability for the intended application. Based on corrosion studies, stainless steel and aluminum are particularly suited for fabricating the metal containers for the developed PCM. The results of the discharging studies of the chosen PCM in the vapor absorption refrigeration chamber appear promising as well.