Study on Preparation and Performance Testing of Silica-Composite Organic Phase Change Material Microcapsules.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Phase-change materials (PCMs) are crucial for thermal energy storage.
• Developing stable and efficient microencapsulated PCMs is essential for practical applications.
• Existing methods often face challenges with leakage, stability, and environmental impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a core-shell phase-change microcapsule system with a structured composite core.
• To investigate the role of silica in stabilizing the core and tuning phase change properties.
• To develop environmentally friendly microencapsulation methods using waterborne polyurethane.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a mono-caprylate waterborne polyurethane microencapsulation technique.
• Integrated a silica network with phase change materials (ethyl palmitate/paraffin) to form the core.
• Synthesized polyurethane shell from a fatty acid monoglyceride prepolymer.

Main Results:

• Successfully constructed stable core-shell phase-change microcapsules.
• Silica network prevented leakage and modulated phase change temperature and latent heat.
• Developed two types of microcapsules: silica-ethyl palmitate (broad range near room temp) and silica-paraffin (high latent heat, medium temp).

Conclusions:

• The developed microcapsules offer tunable performance for diverse applications.
• The materials are suitable for building energy efficiency and electronic thermal management due to their temperature regulation capabilities.
• The waterborne polyurethane system aligns with green manufacturing principles, showing significant application value.