Synthetic Comb-Like Phase-Change Material Poly(Acrylonitrile-co-Lauric Acid) Copolymer for Low Temperature Energy Management

Abstract

Comb-like poly(acrylonitrile-co-lauric acid) (PANLA) phase change materials with low phase change temperature were synthesized via mixed solvent precipitation polymerization where acrylonitrile (AN) and dodecyl acrylate (DA) were employed as monomers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR) were used to characterize the chemical structure of the resultant PANLA. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry analyzer (TG) were adapted to evaluate the energy storage performance and thermal reliability of PANLA materials. Thermal analysis revealed that comb-like PANLA had a good energy storage performance and cyclic stability. The crystallization temperature of PANLA was around -8 °C with a crystallization enthalpy range of 3.77~41.30 J/g which was intended to apply in an environment with a relatively low temperature.