A review on the use of SrBr2·6H2O as a potential material for low temperature energy storage systems and building applications

•Performance review of SrBr2·6H2O for low-temperature energy storage and building.•Limited to thermodynamics, sorption kinetics physical and chemical properties.•SrBr2/H2O as PCM and TCM energy storage system ensuring at least 50% efficiency.•Ideas of use in building structure are given along with some material improvements.

The combination of its sorption capacity, reaction enthalpy, melting temperatures around available industrial waste heat and solar source and high thermal efficiency (compared to others salt hydrates) makes strontium bromide and its two respective hydrates a potential material for low temperature energy storage and building applications. It is considered among suitable materials for low thermochemical and sorption energy storage application (N'Tsoukpoe et al. [7]) due to its high-energy storage density and end-user temperature. Strontium bromide is simultaneously considered as a phase change and a thermochemical material. A short analysis of the general physical and chemical properties such as thermodynamics, melting temperature, density, sorption kinetics, exergy, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity and permeability highlights the advantageous properties. The review on the use of strontium bromide in pure or modified form is further extended to applications such as building structure, composite design for thermal storage, and heating and cooling. The usefulness and disadvantages of its use in closed/open processes are discussed. Possible solutions to issues are further presented or proposed.