Fabrication and characterization of a new enhanced hybrid shell microPCM for thermal energy storage. (15th October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Han, Pengju; Qiu, Xiaolin; Lu, Lixin; Pan, Liao
• Is Part Of: Energy conversion and management. Volume 126(2016)
• Page Start: 673
• Page End: 685
• Publication Date: 2016-10-15
• Subjects: Thermal energy storage -- MicroPCMs -- UF/NMA/PMMA hybrid shell -- n-Tetradecane; Direct energy conversion -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Periodicals; Energy transfer -- Periodicals; Énergie -- Conversion directe -- Périodiques; Direct energy conversion; Periodicals; 621.3105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2016.08.052
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0196-8904

Abstract

Highlights: PMMA/NMA/UF hybrid shell microPCMs were firstly prepared. NMA was firstly used as a crosslinking agent between MMA and UF precondensate. PMMA/NMA/UF hybrid shell microPCMs has good leakproofness due to semi-IPN. Abstract: MicroPCMs (microencapsulated phase-change materials) were successfully synthesized using PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)) and UF (urea-formaldehyde) as raw materials for hybrid shells, and n -tetradecane as core materials. NMA ( n -methylol acrylamide) with two functional groups of double-bond and hydroxymethyl was used as a crosslinking agent. The morphologies and chemical structures of microPCMs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The agglomerations of the UF/PMMA hybrid samples might be influenced by two factors: cross linking action of NMA and PMMA/UF ratio in shell materials. The phase change properties and thermal durability were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The UF/NMA/PMMA hybrid shell microcapsules has an enthalpy of 175.5 J/g which is higher than the single-layer shell samples of PMMA and UF, and a better leakproofness than the UF/PMMA hybrid samples without NMA owing to the semi-IPN microstructure. Likewise, the UF/NMA/PMMA hybrid samples have higher thermal durability than the single layer shell samples of PMMA and UF and the UF/PMMA hybrid samples without NMA. Moreover, the thermal cycling test of the UF/PMMA hybrid samples with NMA was carried out for 100 heating/cooling cycles and indicated that the developed hybrid shell microPCMs have good chemical stability and thermal reliability. The heating-up experiment revealed that the foam treated by microcapsules had a better thermoregulatory property than the raw foam. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that n -tetradecane/UF/PMMA microPCMs have potential thermal energy storage applications.