Preparation of High Thermo-Stability and Compactness Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials with...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Microencapsulated phase change materials (MicroPCMs) are crucial for thermal energy storage.
• Improving the thermal stability and encapsulation efficiency of MicroPCMs is essential for practical applications.
• Interfacial polymerization offers a versatile method for MicroPCM fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the preparation of MicroPCMs with a three-composition shell via interfacial polymerization.
• To analyze the impact of core/shell ratio and stirring rate on MicroPCM properties.
• To evaluate the morphology, thermal stability, and phase change behavior of the synthesized MicroPCMs.

Main Methods:

• Interfacial polymerization for MicroPCM synthesis.
• High-temperature drying and weighing for compactness analysis.
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for phase change behavior investigation.
• Particle size analysis and morphology observation (SEM).

Main Results:

• Spherical MicroPCMs with intact, compact surfaces and high thermal stability were achieved.
• Higher stirring rates during emulsification led to smaller, more uniform particle sizes.
• Optimal core/shell ratio (around 3) resulted in high core content, encapsulation efficiency, and low mass loss (<6% after drying).
• The three-composition shell significantly enhanced microcapsule compactness.
• Microencapsulation altered the crystallization mechanism to homogeneous nucleation, enhancing supercooling.

Conclusions:

• The three-composition shell and optimized preparation conditions effectively improved MicroPCM properties.
• Controlled stirring and core/shell ratio are critical for achieving desired MicroPCM characteristics.
• The enhanced MicroPCMs demonstrate potential for advanced thermal energy storage systems.