Preparation and Properties of Lauryl Alcohol-Caprylic Acid Eutectics/Activated Charcoal Composites as Shape-stabilized Phase Change Materials for Cold Energy Storage

Abstract

A novel form-stable composite phase change materials for cold energy storage were prepared using physical blending adsorption method. In the shape-stabilized composites, lauryl alcohol (LA) and caprylic acid (CA) were employed as phase change materials, which were blended together at specific mass ratio based on theoretical calculations. Activated charcoal (AC) was selected as supporting material due to its advantages like large specific surface area and high thermal conductivity. The composites were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results of FE-SEM and FT-IR displayed that the eutectics of LA and CA was well absorbed and dispersed homogeneously into the porous network structure of the AC and the melted eutectics was not easy to leak from the reticular structure. Moreover, there was only physical absorption between the eutectic mixture and AC. The results of DSC and TGA indicated that phase change temperature and latent heat of the prepared composites increased with the increase of the binary eutectics mass ratio and AC can enhance the thermal stability of composites. The composites with the mass ratio 60% of the eutectics melted at – 0.21 ℃ with a latent heat enthalpy of 28.08 J/g and solidified at – 2.33 ℃ with a latent solidification enthalpy of 29.70 J/g. The prepared composites will contribute to cold energy storage of low temperature range.