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Author Spotlight: Advancing Energy Solutions Using Nanocomposites as Processed Thermoelectric Materials
Published on: May 17, 2024
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Graphene-Skinned Al2O3 Enables High Thermal Conductivity Phase Change Composites for Thermal Management
Yawei You1,2, Zilong Liu2, Leyuan Wu2
1School of Semiconductors and Physics, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Graphene Sensing Materials and Devices, North University of China, Taiyuan, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|December 29, 2025
Summary
This study enhances paraffin phase change materials (PCMs) using graphene-skinned alumina and expanded graphite. The composite shows improved thermal conductivity and stability for thermal management applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Thermal Engineering
Background:
- Phase change materials (PCMs) offer high latent heat for thermal management but suffer from low thermal conductivity and leakage.
- Paraffin (PA) based PCMs have limited use in high-precision thermal control due to poor thermal performance and reliability issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the thermal conductivity and reliability of paraffin phase change materials.
- To develop a composite material for efficient thermal energy storage and management.
Main Methods:
- Constructed a composite using graphene-skinned alumina micropowder (G-Al2O3) as thermal bridges within an expanded graphite skeleton in a paraffin matrix.
- Employed vacuum impregnation to create a well-coupled, high-thermal-conductivity network.
Main Results:
- Achieved a thermal conductivity of 6.1 W·m−1·K−1, a 2033% increase over pure paraffin.
- Retained high phase change latent heat of 210 J·g−1.
- Demonstrated excellent stability with <5% leakage and <2% latent heat attenuation after 200 thermal cycles.
Conclusions:
- The "interface enhancement" strategy effectively improves the thermal conductivity and reliability of PCMs.
- The developed composite material is suitable for high-power electronic device temperature stabilization and aerospace thermal storage.
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