Enhanced thermal conductivity and leakage resistance of microparticle impregnated composite phase change materials
摘要
Phase change materials (PCMs), recognized for their stability, superior temperature regulation, and excellent energy storage properties, have been extensively studied and applied across various fields. However, low thermal conductivity and leakage issues in melting/solidification cycles hinder their widespread application. This study focuses on the development of a composite phase change material (CPCM) by incorporating octadecane (C18) and octadecane-encapsulated microparticle (OEM) mixtures into graphite and copper foams through a vacuum impregnation process to overcome these issues. The results show that copper foam-based CPCM achieved a thermal conductivity of 2.06 W m−1K−1, while graphite foam-based CPCM reach 13.17 W m−1K−1, compared to 0.33 W m−1K−1 for pure octadecane (C18). The leakage study shows that the octadecane and OEM mixture exhibits emulsion-like behavior at a mass fraction of 60%, which effectively reduces the leakage percentage to 0.2% and 0.7% for graphite foam and copper foam-based CPCMs after 100 melting/solidification cycles. The latent heats of graphite foam-based and copper foam-based CPCMs remain at around 115 J g−1 and 80 J g−1, respectively. The developed CPCM presents a cost-effective solution for achieving improved thermal conductivity, high latent heat storage, and low leakage, making it a promising material for thermal management applications.