Study on preparation and heat transfer enhancement of expanded graphite/paraffin composites

Abstract

Abstract Using paraffin as the phase change material, expanded graphite (EG) as the carrier, due to the good absorption and the high thermal conductivity of EG, the EG/paraffin composites were prepared. The EG/paraffin composites were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermal conductivity meter and temperature patrol instrument. The results show that with the decrease of paraffin content, the latent heat and temperature of phase change of EG/ paraffin composites decrease slightly, and the highest endothermic peak shifts to the left, however, in EG/ paraffin composites, with the increase of EG mass fraction, the thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and heat transfer enhancement ability are greatly improved.