Thermal and mechanical properties of graphite foam/Wood’s alloy composite for thermal energy storage

Thermal and mechanical properties of graphite foam/Wood’s alloy (50Bi/27Pb/13Sn/10Cd) composites for thermal energy storage were investigated. As compared with the alloy and graphite foam, thermal conductivity of the composites (193.74 W/mK) increased 2 times. Significant reduction in coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite compared with that of the alloy (7.82 vs. 24.81 ppm/K) was obtained. The latent heat of the composite remained very close to the value of the alloy alone. Moreover, alloy filled into graphite foam enhanced the mechanical properties of the graphite foam both in the solid phase and melting phase.