Volume 27: Closing Carbon Cycles – A Transformation Process Involving Technology, Economy, and Society: Part II

Effects of Expanded Graphite and Nano-AlN on the Thermal Conductivity and Specific Heat Capacity of Phase Change Materials Yalin Zhang, Fei Ma , Xinli Lu, Wei Zhang, Tianji Zhu, Jiali Liu1, Hao Yu1, Shuhui Li1, Chenchen Li1, Feng Ma

Abstract

Latent heat energy storage technology (LHES) has the advantages of high heat storage density, stable phase change temperature and easy process control. The development of high-performance phase change materials is crucial to the use of thermal energy storage. In this study, physisorption is used to create a variety of paraffin wax (PA) based composite phase change materials (PCMs), employing expanded graphite (EG) and aluminum nitride (AlN) nanoparticles as fillers. The thermal conductivity of composite samples at 25 °C is measured based on the principle of steady-state heat flow method. Thermal characterization of the composite PCM by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showes the effect of EG and nano-AlN on the specific heat capacity of paraffin. The thermal conductivities of the prepared PCMs are 6.4-11.8 times that of PA. This is a guiding meaning for the preparation of composite PCMs with high specific heat and thermal conductivity.

Keywords composite phase change materials, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity