Composite Phase Change Materials Research Articles

Thermal Safety Research of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Flame-Retardant Phase Change Materials

Pure phase change materials (PCMs) have drawbacks such as low thermal conductivity and poor physical properties like flammability, which limit their further application in battery thermal management systems. This paper introduces an innovative flame-retardant composite phase change material (CPCM) made from paraffin, expanded graphite, chitosan (CS), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), and aluminum hypophosphite (AHP). The physicochemical properties and flame-retardant performance of CPCMs with five different flame-retardant ratios of 9%, 12%, 15%, 18%, and 21% are studied, and their application effects in battery thermal safety are revealed. The results show that the combination of flame retardants CS, APP, and AHP exhibits effective synergistic effects, and the prepared CPCM exhibits good flame-retardant properties and thermal management effects. The CPCM exhibits outstanding thermal management performance when the flame-retardant content is 12%. At a maximum discharge rate of 3C, compared to natural air-cooling conditions, the maximum battery temperature and temperature difference are controlled within the safe range of 41 °C and below 5 °C, respectively. The CPCM can play an important role in the thermal safety of lithium-ion batteries.

Combination of Phase Change Composite Material and Liquid-Cooled Plate Prevents Thermal Runaway Propagation of High-Specific-Energy Battery

Ternary lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have the advantages of high energy density and high charging efficiency, and they are the preferred energy source for long-life new energy vehicles. However, when thermal runaway (TR) occurs in the ternary LIB, an open flame is easily produced. The burning phenomenon is intense, and the rapid of TR propagation is high; consequently, vehicle-level fire accidents are easily induced. These accidents have become the biggest obstacle restricting the batteries’ development. Therefore, this study investigates the TR behavior of ternary LIBs at the cell and module levels. The addition of an insulation layer alone, including ceramic nano fibers, glass fiber aerogel, and phase-change composite materials, cannot prevent TR propagation. To completely block the TR propagation, we developed a safety prevention strategy, combining the phase-change composite materials with a commercial liquid cooling plate. This approach provides a three-level TR protection mechanism that includes heat absorption, heat conduction, and heat insulation. The use of a 2 mm thick phase change composite material combined with a liquid cooling plate effectively prevents the TR propagation between60 Ah ternary LIBs with 100%SOCs.. The front surface temperature of the adjacent cell is maintained near 90 °C, with its maximum temperature consistently stays below 100 °C. This study successfully demonstrates the blockage of TR propagation and offers valuable insights for the thermal safety design of high-specific-energy LIBs; the aim is to improve the overall safety of battery packs in practical applications.

Scalable Fabrication of Light-Responsive Superhydrophobic Composite Phase Change Materials via Bionic-Engineered Wood for Solar–Thermal Energy Management

The growing demand for sustainable energy storage solutions has underscored the importance of phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy management. However, traditional PCMs are always inherently constrained by issues such as leakage, poor thermal conductivity, and lack of solar energy conversion capacity. Herein, a multifunctional composite phase change material (CPCM) is developed using a balsa-derived morphology genetic scaffold, engineered via bionic catechol surface chemistry. The scaffold undergoes selective delignification, followed by a simple, room-temperature polydopamine (PDA) modification to deposit Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and graft octadecyl chains, resulting in a superhydrophobic hierarchical structure. This superhydrophobicity plays a critical role in preventing PCM leakage and enhancing environmental adaptability, ensuring long-term stability under diverse conditions. Encapsulating stearic acid (SA) as the PCM, the CPCM exhibits exceptional stability, achieving a high latent heat of 175.5 J g−1 and an energy storage efficiency of 87.7%. In addition, the thermal conductivity of the CPCM is significantly enhanced along the longitudinal direction, a 2.1-fold increase compared to pure SA, due to the integration of Ag NPs and the unidirectional wood architecture. This synergy also drives efficient photothermal conversion via π-π stacking interactions of PDA and the surface plasmon effects of Ag NPs, enabling rapid solar-to-thermal energy conversion. Moreover, the CPCM demonstrates remarkable water resistance, self-cleaning ability, and long-term thermal reliability, retaining its functionality through 100 heating–cooling cycles. This multifunctional balsa-based CPCM represents a breakthrough in integrating phase-change behavior with advanced environmental adaptability, offering promising applications in solar–thermal energy systems.

Design of boron nitride/nanocellulose aerogel-stabilized phase change materials for efficient thermal energy capture and storage.

The practical application of polyethylene glycol (PEG) phase change materials (PCMs) necessitates exceptional shape stability, rapid thermal responsiveness, and a substantial thermal storage capacity. The present study focuses on the fabrication of a highly robust cellulose nanofibril (CNF) based aerogel with an ordered structure, serving as a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold for PEG to effectively prevent any potential leakage. Additionally, hydroxyl and amino functional groups are introduced to functionalize boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS-g), which are incorporated into the aerogel to enhance its thermal conductivity. Consequently, the porous and interconnected BNNS-g/CNF aerogel effectively encapsulates PEG while exhibiting exceptional resistance to liquid leakage during the phase change process. Due to the continuous thermally conductive pathway provided by BNNS-g and reduced contact thermal resistance, the BNNS-g/CNF/PEG composite PCMs (CPCMs) show enhanced thermal conductivity compared to pure PEG and previously reported PEG CPCMs. The BNNS-g/CNF/PEG CPCMs demonstrate a high thermal storage density of 158.0 J/g (up to 96.6 % of pure PEG), exceptional PCM loading capacity (approximately 7000 wt%), low fill content (1.4 wt%) and cycling stability. Furthermore, the BNNS-g/CNF/PEG CPCMs exhibit excellent long-term thermal stability based on simulated residual heat absorption in an environment, underscoring their significant potential for commercial applications in thermal energy conversion and storage.

HEAT TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT OF MODIFIED SODIUM ACETATE TRIHYDRATE COMPOSITE PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL WITH METAL FOAMS

In this paper, an experimental study is performed to enhance the heat transfer ability of phase change material (PCM) using copper foam (CF). A numerical model is established to predict the melting and solidification process of composite phase change materials (CPCM) in metal foams. The step-cooling curve of CF/CPCM is ideal, with low subcooling and high thermal conductivity because of the interconnected porous structure and the high thermal conductivity of porous media, and the CF/CPCM thermophysical parameters are in line with the expected target. Therefore, a more suitable solution should be selected for practical applications. The CF/CPCM heat storage and exothermic device basically completes the exothermic solidification process at 3600 s, and basically completes the heat absorption and melting process at 4200 s, which has a more obvious effect on the overall heat transfer strengthening of the device and reducing the nonuniformity of the material. The design and construction of the CF/CPCM heat storage and exothermic device can be carried out when the application cost is possible.

Influence of compression ratio in compressed extended graphite on thermo-physical properties of composite phase change material: An experimental investigation

Influence of compression ratio in compressed extended graphite on thermo-physical properties of composite phase change material: An experimental investigation

Corrigendum to “Bio-based eutectic composite phase change materials with enhanced thermal conductivity and excellent shape stabilization for battery thermal management” [J. Energy Storage 100 (2024) 113712

Corrigendum to “Bio-based eutectic composite phase change materials with enhanced thermal conductivity and excellent shape stabilization for battery thermal management” [J. Energy Storage 100 (2024) 113712

Preparation and properties of sodium sulfate decahydrate shape-stabilized composite phase change material for solar greenhouse

Preparation and properties of sodium sulfate decahydrate shape-stabilized composite phase change material for solar greenhouse

Flexible composite phase change materials with high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties for lithium-ion battery thermal management

Flexible composite phase change materials with high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties for lithium-ion battery thermal management

Cross-scale thermal analysis and comprehensive evaluation of biomimetic skin-flesh composite phase change material for waste heat recovery

Cross-scale thermal analysis and comprehensive evaluation of biomimetic skin-flesh composite phase change material for waste heat recovery

Research on heat transfer and force safety characteristics of power batteries based on flexible composite phase change materials

Research on heat transfer and force safety characteristics of power batteries based on flexible composite phase change materials

A novel cobalt-reinforced graphene aerogel composite phase change material with excellent energy storage capacity for low-temperature industrial waste heat recovery

A novel cobalt-reinforced graphene aerogel composite phase change material with excellent energy storage capacity for low-temperature industrial waste heat recovery

Utilizing biomass-derived activated carbon hybrids for enhanced thermal conductivity and latent heat storage in form-stabilized composite PCMs

ABSTRACT In this study, the focus was on developing multifunctional organic form-stabilized composite phase change materials (PCMs) to efficiently manage thermal energy and promote sustainable energy utilization. The novel composite PCMs were designed and synthesized by incorporating Methyl stearate (MtS) as the PCM with pristine activated carbon derived from coconut shells (CAC) and thermally enhanced CAC@Graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) hybrid matrices. Particularly, the combination of CAC90@GnP10/MtS allowed the composite PCM to exhibit excellent thermophysical responses, capitalizing on the unique properties and synergistic effects of each component. The resulting composite PCM from this combination demonstrated remarkable performance, with a high loading ratio of 70% and a latent heat of 160.87 J/g, which is 27.52% higher than that of the pristine CAC-supported PCM. The test results indicated that the chemical and crystal structure of MtS remained unaffected after the composite formation. The thermal conductivity of CAC90@GnP10/MtS was found to be 102.85% higher than CAC/MtS and 195.83% higher than MtS alone. The enhancement in thermal conductivity was further validated through observed reductions in melting and solidification times, as well as analysis using infrared thermal imaging. In conclusion, the development of these intelligent, multifunctional composite PCMs, which utilize CAC@GnP hybrids as supporter scaffolds and thermal conductivity enhancers for MtS, holds great promise for effective sustainable energy usage and thermal energy management systems in various fields like waste heat utilization, energy-saving buildings, constant temperature protection, thermal management of electronic devices, aerospace industry, textiles, automotive, and renewable energy systems.

A Review on Shape Stabilized Phase Change Material for Thermal Energy Storage Applications

Thermal energy storage (TES) using solar energy is one of the most prominent techniques to store the energy and reduce to gap between energy demand and supply. There are many useful applications that can be fuelled by TES. Phase change materials (PCM) as TES materials are of great importance as far as the energy storage applications are concerned. However, there are various bottleneck problems with pure PCM like liquid phase leakage, low thermal conductivity, supercooling etc. To overcome this deficit, highly porous foam is used to improve the leakage problem of PCMs during phase transition. Additionally, nanoparticles and nucleating agent are the most commonly employed in-practice approaches to get rid of the issue of low thermal conductivity and supercooling, respectively. In addition, even after being subjected to multiple heat cycles, foam-stabilized PCM composites showed remarkable stability without being degraded. This paper discusses the major foams that has been incorporated with different PCMs along with their critical outcomes. This paper also discusses the significant uses of foam stable PCMs reported by several researchers. As a result of its high latent heat, good thermal conductivity, balanced chemical compatibility, and high thermal stability, the foam-stable PCM composite is a viable choice for thermal-energy management systems.

Investigation of a novel shape-stabilized composite phase change material based on biocarbon

Investigation of a novel shape-stabilized composite phase change material based on biocarbon

Passive Thermal Management System for Electric-Hybrid Vehicles - Hot Climate Condition

Abstract To achieve net-zero emissions targets, electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are prioritized for reducing CO₂ emissions in transportation. Among the available battery systems, lithium-based batteries are the most prominent due to their high energy storage density. The primary safety risk in lithium-ion batteries is thermal instability caused by overheating. Battery capacity drops significantly at operating temperatures above 45°C. At higher temperatures, the battery undergoes thermal decomposition, and once it reaches a critical temperature, it enters an irreversible state of thermal instability, which can lead to an explosion. In our previous study, we developed flexible phase-change material (PCM) packages for passive thermal energy storage (TES) of heat from lithium-ion batteries in HEVs/EVs, extending battery life and ensuring safety. In this paper, we present the results of applying these PCM packages under hot climate conditions. The test results show that both paraffin and composite PCMs can maintain lower temperatures compared to battery modules without PCM, ensuring safe operation. The PCM composite, which includes highly conductive materials, demonstrated better thermal performance than paraffin alone.

Preparation and Characterization of Fe3O4-Modified Graphene Oxide as Heat Transfer Additive for Paraffin Wax Applications

Introduction: In phase change thermal management systems, the development of magnetic phase change materials offers the possibility of effectively integrating passive and active heat control technologies. The low dispersibility of traditional heat transfer additives, the high interfacial thermal resistance with phase change matrices, and the restricted magnetic response characteristics are some of the current problems that must be resolved. Methods: To overcome these challenges, this study employed a co-precipitation method to composite magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4 with graphene oxide (GO). The active sites on GO were functionalized with alkyl groups to prepare Fe3O4-modified graphene oxide (Fe3O4-MGO)/paraffin magnetic composite phase change materials. The morphology, structure, chemical composition, and thermal properties of the resulting magnetic composite phase change materials were tested and characterized. Results: The results indicated that Fe3O4-MGO exhibits good dispersibility in paraffin, which can enhance the thermal conductivity of the phase change material. The thermal conductivity of the composite phase change material with a Fe3O4-MGO mass fraction of 2.0% was measured to be 0.461 W/m·K, representing a 47.3% increase compared to pure paraffin. Additionally, Fe3O4-MGO demonstrated a certain phase change capability, with a phase change enthalpy reaching 70.35 kJ/kg. Conclusion: The findings of this study are expected to provide technical support for innovative applications of magnetic-controlled phase change thermal management.

Pressure-Induced Assembly of Organic Phase-Change Materials Hybridized with Expanded Graphite and Carbon Nanotubes for Direct Solar Thermal Harvesting and Thermoelectric Conversion.

Direct harvesting of abundant solar thermal energy within organic phase-change materials (PCMs) has emerged as a promising way to overcome the intermittency of renewable solar energy and pursue high-efficiency heating-related applications. Organic PCMs, however, generally suffer from several common shortcomings including melting-induced leakage, poor solar absorption, and low thermal conductivity. Compounding organic PCMs with single-component carbon materials faces the difficulty in achieving optimized comprehensive performance enhancement. Herein, this work reports the employment of hybrid expanded graphite (EG) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to simultaneously realize leakage-proofness, high solar absorptance, high thermal conductivity, and large latent heat storage capacity. The PCM composites were prepared by directly mixing commercial high-temperature paraffin (HPA) powders, EG, and CNTs, followed by subsequent mechanical compression molding. The HPA-EG composites loaded with 20 wt% of EG could effectively suppress melting-induced leakage. After further compounding with 1 wt% of CNTs, the form-stable HPA-EG20-CNT1 composites achieved an axial and in-plane thermal conductivity of 4.15 W/m K and 18.22 W/m K, and a melting enthalpy of 165.4 J/g, respectively. Through increasing the loading of CNTs to 10 wt% in the top thin layer, we further prepared double-layer HPA-EG-CNT composites, which have a high surface solar absorptance of 92.9% for the direct conversion of concentrated solar illumination into storable latent heat. The charged composites could be combined with a thermoelectric generator to release the stored latent heat and generate electricity, which could power up small electric devices such as light-emitting diodes. This work demonstrates the potential for employing hybrid fillers to optimize the thermophysical properties and solar thermal harvesting performances of organic PCMs.

An Overview of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Materials and Systems for Storage Applications

This paper presents an overview of thermal energy storage (TES) materials and systems for storage applications. A TES system is composed of a storage medium (TES material), a heat exchanger and a storage tank. TES systems employ storage technology by heating/cooling a medium so that the stored energy can be used later in various applications. In recent years, TES systems have attained significant interest in the scientific community, finding multiple applications in air heating/cooling, water heating, buildings, and more. TES systems depend on capacity, power, efficiency, storage period, and cost. TES systems are divided into three main categories, depending on how the energy is stored: sensible systems (with hot water), systems using phase change materials (PCMs), and systems based on chemical reactions. Among these three types, PCM-based systems are outstanding in terms of both performance and cost-effectiveness. These advanced materials contribute to the conservation of heat and solar energy, as well as improving their efficient use. This paper addresses different aspects of PCMs utilization. The classification of PCMs is based on the thermophysical properties of composite PCMs, their methods of production, the main challenges associated with them, and the solutions to these challenges. The progress in creating more efficient TES systems and finding the appropriate PCMs is also reviewed.

Preparation, Characterization and Application of Sustainable Composite Phase Change Material: A Mineral Material Science Comprehensive Experiment

Phase change materials (PCMs) play a significant role in achieving sustainable objectives for green buildings. Organic solid–liquid PCMs have excellent heat energy storage density and suitable working temperatures, making them a focal point of research attention. However, these materials face challenges such as potential leakage, low thermal conductivity, and limited fire resistance, which hinder their direct application in the construction industry. Therefore, mineral-based PCMs are highly regarded due to their safety features, environmental friendliness, non-toxicity, and cost-effectiveness within sustainable building development. In this work, a multistage porous kaolinite-based geopolymer encapsulation material using primary raw materials like kaolinite mineral, sodium silicate surfactants, and hydrogen peroxide was successfully synthesized. The PEG is used as the organic solid–liquid PCM while natural graphite mineral serves as a heat transfer enhancement agent to fabricate a novel and sustainable mineral-based composite PCM, which could be applied at the environment temperature from 35–60 °C approximately. Furthermore, a study on material properties was conducted to investigate influencing factors. Comprehensive experimental reform on mineral-based PCMs will offer proficiency in experimental operations and foster the talents’ capacity for comprehensive design, which holds immense significance for understanding and designing mineral materials. This work holds great significance for the sustainable development for education and green buildings.