Latent heat storage by silica-coated polymer beads containing organic phase change materials

• Porous poly(ethylene dimethacrylate) (PEDMA) beads were formed.
• They were filled with phase change materials and covered by silica nanospheres shell.
• 75% paraffin and 53% cetyl alcohol phase change materials (PCM) were entrapped.
• The PEDMA-PCM-silica microcapsules showed excellent latent heat storage capacity.
• The composites retained their high heat capacity after 1000 heating–cooling cycles.

Phase change materials (PCMs) are used for latent heat storage. Most promising applications of PCMs are waste heat recovery systems, solar heating systems, building energy conservation systems, and air-conditioning systems. Macroporous poly(ethylene dimethacrylate) (PEDMA) carrier beads were formed by the suspension polymerization technique, imbibed with paraffin or cetyl alcohol phase change materials and coated with a silica shell to prevent their aggregation and the leakage of PCM. PEDMA beads contained 75.6% paraffin and 53.1% cetyl alcohol resulting in high latent heat storage capacities. The melting and crystallizing enthalpies were 132.6 and 133.4 J/g, respectively for paraffin-loaded capsules, while 89.6 and 88.6 J/g, respectively for cetyl alcohol containing beads. The excellent latent heat storage of the capsules was retained after 1000 heating–cooling cycles indicating that the capillary forces of the silica-coated porous polymer beads efficiently prevented the leakage of the PCMs.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide