Influence of phase change material on mechanical and thermal properties of clay geopolymer mortar

• Studied clay geopolymer mortars with incorporated PCM experimentally.
• PCM has been prepared using paraffin as the heat-absorbing material and expanded perlite as the supportive material.
• Incorporation PCM in clay geopolymer mortar effectively reduces the transport heat, and it can be used as rural region building materials.

With the flourish development of energy-saving solutions for building, the demands of phase change material (PCM) modified building materials are urgently increasing. Herein, we report a novel route to prepare clay geopolymer mortar incorporated PCM by vacuum absorption method, where PCM is produced with paraffin as heat-absorbing material and expanded perlite as p supportive material by vacuum adsorption method. The paraffin immobilized in three-dimensional network structure during the process of phase change is evidenced by scanning electron microscope (SEM), different scanning calorimetry (DSC), compressive strength, dry density and thermal conductivity. The proportion of paraffin in the composite is 55.47% by mass, and the phase change temperature and latent heat were 35.59 °C and 96.77 J/g, respectively. The compressive strength, dry apparent density, and thermal conductivity coefficient were 8.0 MPa, 1678 kg/m3, and 0.46 W m−1 K−1, respectively.