High latent heat stearic acid impregnated in expanded graphite

The drawbacks of the relatively high phase change temperatures, fluid leakage, and low thermal conductivity of organic phase change materials limit their applications. Expanded graphite used in this study played two roles, one was shape-stabilized container, and another was a heat transfer intensifier. Stearic acid was impregnated into expanded graphite to form the shape stabilized organic-inorganic phase change composites with a high latent heat, minute supercooling, and no fluid leakage. The results showed that the melting and solidifying enthalpies were reached up to about 168 J/g and 163 J/g, and the phase change temperature is about 53.00 °C. The supercooling of the samples was diminished to 0.35 °C. The optimum mixing mass ratio of the stearic acid and expanded graphite for preparing the samples was about 19:1. The samples exhibited a good thermal stability and thermal conductivity.