A Phase Change Storage Material that May be Used in the Fire Resistance of Building Structure

This study prepared polyethylene glycol/silicon dioxide composite, a kind of form-stable phase change material. The composites can be made into mortar which is able to adhere to the surface of building structure and absorb the fire heat. This paper aims to study the effect of the composites on the fire resistance of building structure. Scanning electronic microscope and differential scanning calorimeter were adopted to investigate the structural and thermal properties of the composites. It was found that the polyethylene glycol was well dispersed into the network of solid SiO2. And the latent heat of PEG/SiO2 increased with the decrease of SiO2 content. The required weight percentage of SiO2 was found to be 15% at least if the composites remain solid without leakage. It was also found that a phase change of pure PEG6000 happened with an enthalpy of 158 J/g while the 80 wt% PEG composite is 133 J/g. In conclusion, the phase change storage material may be used for fire resistance of building structure.