Thermal properties of smart microencapsulated paraffin/plaster composites for the thermal regulation of buildings

Smart plaster composites were manufactured by mixing plaster with different amounts of Micronal® DS5001X microcapsules containing a paraffin mixture with a melting point of 26 °C to develop new construction materials with high thermal energy storage capacity for use in high-comfort constructive systems. Thermal characterization of smart plaster composites was performed using two different experimental techniques: thermal energy storage properties, such as latent heat and heat capacities, were investigated using a Transient Guarded Hot Plate Technique (TGHPT), whereas thermal conductivities and diffusivities were measured using a periodic temperature method. The results revealed an improvement in the latent heat and the heat capacities of the composites with increasing paraffin content in the composite. Furthermore, thermal conductivities and diffusivities decreased with increasing microencapsulated paraffin concentration.