A novel form stable phase change material with comb-like cross-linked polyurethane as supporting skeleton

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Improving the homogeneity and stability of phase-change materials (PCMs) is crucial for effective thermal energy storage (TES).
• Leakage and degradation of PCMs during phase transitions limit their practical application.
• Developing robust supporting structures for PCMs is essential to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel comb-like polyurethane (YP) as a supporting material for myristic acid (MA) PCMs.
• To evaluate the thermal stability, energy storage capacity, and leakage prevention of the developed MA/YP composite.
• To demonstrate the potential of this composite for advanced thermal energy storage applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of comb-like polyurethane using poly(ethylene glycol monomethyl ether)-based trimethylolpropane (Ymer-N120).
• Preparation of MA/YP composite via thermal curing, embedding micron-grade MA crystals within the polyurethane matrix.
• Characterization using FTIR, XRD, DSC, TGA, FESEM, and accelerated thermal cycling testing.

Main Results:

• A crosslinked polyurethane matrix successfully embedded micron-sized myristic acid crystals.
• The YP structure effectively supported the melting MA, preventing leakage even after 500 thermal cycles.
• The YPM50 composite (50 wt% MA) exhibited high latent heat (>90 J/g) and good thermal stability (decomposition onset at 190 °C).

Conclusions:

• The developed comb-like polyurethane provides an effective structural support for PCMs, significantly mitigating leakage issues.
• The YP/MA composite demonstrates excellent thermal reliability and high energy storage density.
• This material presents a promising and stable solution for practical thermal energy storage applications.