Preparation, stability and mechanical property of shape-stabilized phase change materials

A series of shape-stabilized phase change materials (SSPCMs) were prepared by melt blending with paraffin and polymer alloys. The polymer alloys used in this work are high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with various elastomers including ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM), three styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers (SBS) with different S/B ratios and configurations and styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS). These alloys were used as matrices to encapsulate and support paraffin. Their thermal properties, cyclic stability and mechanical properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), cyclic stability test and tensile test respectively. The results indicate that these alloys are able to encapsulate paraffin well with latent heats of 80-100 J/g and mass loss of 8-10% after 100 cycles. Crosslinking of the matrices was carried out and its effects on tensile property and cyclic stability were explored. Proper crosslinking can increase the tensile strength without sacrificing the cyclic stability.