Shape-stabilized phase change material with highly thermal conductive matrix developed by one-step pyrolysis method.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Metal microspheres doping porous carbon (MMPC) enhances shape-stabilized phase change material (ss-PCM) thermal conductivity.
• Previous MMPC preparation involved multi-step pyrolysis, being tedious and energy-intensive.
• Wheat bran is an abundant, low-cost agricultural waste.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simplified, energy-efficient one-step strategy for synthesizing MMPC.
• To prepare and characterize ss-PCM using copper microspheres doping wheat bran biochar (CMS-WBB) as a matrix.
• To evaluate the thermal properties and potential applications of the synthesized ss-PCM.

Main Methods:

• A one-step pyrolysis strategy was employed, utilizing wheat bran adsorbed with copper ions.
• Copper microspheres doping wheat bran biochar (CMS-WBB) was synthesized via in-situ pyrolysis.
• Stearic acid (SA) was loaded onto CMS-WBB to create the ss-PCM (SA/CMS-WBB).

Main Results:

• The one-step pyrolysis successfully produced CMS-WBB, simplifying the MMPC preparation process.
• The synthesized SA/CMS-WBB exhibited enhanced thermal conductivity compared to ss-PCMs without copper microspheres.
• Increased stearic acid loading capacity was observed in the wheat bran biochar matrix due to copper microsphere introduction.

Conclusions:

• A simplified and energy-saving method for preparing MMPC (CMS-WBB) was successfully developed.
• The SA/CMS-WBB ss-PCM demonstrates significant potential for thermal management applications.
• This study provides a viable pathway for utilizing agricultural waste in advanced thermal energy storage materials.