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Preparation and Characterization of Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials with Enhanced Thermal Performance for
Yang Wang1, Yunchuan Xu1, Haojie Zhao1
1College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 14, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed advanced microencapsulated phase-change materials (MPCMs) for effective low-temperature cold storage. Optimized MPCMs using binary-core systems offer enhanced thermal energy storage for cold-chain applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Thermal Engineering
Background:
- Effective thermal energy storage is crucial for low-temperature applications like cold-chain logistics and vaccine refrigeration.
- Microencapsulated phase-change materials (MPCMs) offer a promising solution due to their high energy density and tunable phase transition temperatures.
- Developing MPCMs with high enthalpy, stable microstructure, and suitable transition temperatures remains a key challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel microencapsulated phase-change materials (MPCMs) optimized for low-temperature cold storage applications.
- To investigate the influence of emulsifier type and ultrasonic emulsification parameters on MPCM properties.
- To enhance the thermal storage capacity and microstructural stability of MPCMs by utilizing a binary-core system.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of MPCMs using 1-decanol as the core and methyl methacrylate as the shell precursor.
- Investigation of various emulsifier types, focusing on styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer.
- Optimization of ultrasonic emulsification conditions (emulsifier concentration, power, time).
- Preparation and characterization of binary-core MPCMs by combining 1-decanol and 1-tetradecane.
Main Results:
- Styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer effectively produced MPCMs with high enthalpy and uniform microstructure.
- Optimal emulsification conditions (5 wt% emulsifier, 375 W, 12 min) yielded MPCMs with a phase-change enthalpy of 126.7 kJ/kg.
- A binary-core MPCM (1-decanol/1-tetradecane, 51.1:48.9 molar ratio) exhibited a significantly higher storage enthalpy (144.3 kJ/kg, a 13.9% increase).
- The binary-core system demonstrated improved microstructural uniformity and suitable phase-transition temperatures for low-temperature storage.
Conclusions:
- Optimized MPCMs, particularly the binary-core formulation, demonstrate excellent thermal properties for low-temperature cold storage.
- The developed MPCMs provide a practical and innovative technical solution for cold-chain logistics and vaccine refrigeration.
- Further research into binary-core MPCMs can lead to advanced thermal management systems.
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