Preparation and characterizations of asphalt/lauric acid blends phase change materials for potential building materials

Lauric acid (LA) is a common used phase change materials (PCM), and has been attracted considerable attentions for conserving waste energy and improving efficiency of energy utilization in building. In this paper, asphalt/LA blends are obtained through direct impregnated technology. The morphology, compatibility, crystalline properties, phase change properties, thermal reliability and stability of obtained asphalt/LA blends are extensively studied by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, accelerated thermal cycling testing and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The asphalt exhibits a good compatibility with LA, and the phase separation is not detected in obtained blends. The obtained asphalt/LA blends demonstrate an excellent performance of storing and releasing heat during phase change process. Meanwhile, accelerated thermal cycling testing results indicate that the modified asphalt exhibit good thermal reliability and LA cannot leak from the blends after 100 times thermal cycling treated. The good thermal stability implied a practical application of blends in the construction industry. The obtained blends show great potential for conserving waste energy and regulating the indoor temperature in the field of construction and building.