Electrostatic Self-Assembled Carbon Black Phase-Change Microcapsules for Building Photothermal Conversion and Thermal...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Phase change materials (PCMs) are crucial for thermal energy storage but often face challenges in practical applications.
• Enhancing the photothermal response and stability of PCMs is essential for efficient solar energy utilization.
• Developing robust microencapsulation techniques is key to preventing leakage and maintaining performance over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel carbon black phase change microcapsules (CB-MPCMs) with improved photothermal conversion and heat storage capabilities.
• To create a stable composite material by immobilizing CB-MPCMs onto a flexible substrate for building thermal management.
• To evaluate the performance and durability of the fabricated CB-MPCM composite plates under cyclic irradiation.

Main Methods:

• Electrostatic self-assembly polymerization was employed to synthesize paraffin wax (PW) core and silica/carbon black (CB) shell microcapsules.
• CB-MPCMs were characterized for their thermal storage performance, encapsulation efficiency, and thermal stability up to 80.0 °C.
• CB-MPCMs were integrated onto a nonwoven fabric substrate using epoxy resin (ER) and a curing agent (CA), forming composite plates with a polycarbonate (PC) outer layer.

Main Results:

• The synthesized CB-MPCMs exhibited a high phase change enthalpy of approximately 130.0 J g^-1 and an encapsulation efficiency exceeding 60%.
• The microcapsules demonstrated excellent thermal stability, remaining leak-free at high temperatures and retaining stable phase change enthalpy after multiple cycles.
• The resulting CB-MPCM composite plates showed significant energy storage and release characteristics under cyclic irradiation (1 kW m^-2), indicating stable performance.

Conclusions:

• The electrostatic self-assembly method provides a simple and efficient route for producing high-performance CB-MPCMs.
• The developed CB-MPCM composite plates offer a promising solution for building thermal management, enhancing energy conservation and solar energy collection.
• These microencapsulated phase change materials exhibit broad application prospects in sustainable energy technologies.