Lauric acid/intercalated kaolinite as form-stable phase change material for thermal energy storage

Kaolinite is one of the most naturally occurring industrial minerals, which has inherent advantages such as low cost, flame retardant, porous lamellar structure. In this paper, a novel FSPCM (form-stable phase change material) for thermal energy storage is prepared by absorbing LA (lauric acid) into the pores of IKL (intercalated kaolinite). Analysis techniques such as XRD (X-ray diffraction), FT-IR, DSC (Differential scanning calorimety), SEM (scanning electron microscope), and BET (Brunauer-Emmet-Teller) are used to test the thermal properties, structure and composition of the prepared composite. The maximum mass ratio of LA adsorbed into IKL without leakage is as high as 48 wt%, ascribed to the expansion of kaolinite interlayer. The phase change temperature and latent heat are determined as 43.7 °C and 72.5 J/g, respectively. Besides, the composite exhibits a distinct enhanced thermal stability. Due to the high adsorption capacity, high latent heat, good thermal stability, as well as low cost, the composite can be considered as potential FSPCM for practical applications.