Enhancing Gypsum Plaster with Encapsulated Fischer-Tropsch Paraffin Wax as a Phase-Change Additive for Broad-Range...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Paraffins are effective phase-change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage.
• Individual high-purity paraffins are costly and have limited operating temperature ranges.
• Leakage is a challenge for using paraffins as PCMs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective and versatile latent heat storage additive using paraffin wax fractions.
• To encapsulate paraffin wax to prevent leakage and broaden its application range.
• To evaluate the thermal performance of encapsulated paraffin wax as an additive in gypsum plaster.

Main Methods:

• Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process to obtain paraffin wax fractions (C13-C49).
• Nanoemulsion interfacial polymerization to encapsulate FT wax in melamine formaldehyde (MF) shells.
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine latent heat storage capacity and transition temperatures.
• Testing encapsulated FT wax as a thermoregulating additive in gypsum plaster.

Main Results:

• FT/MF capsules exhibited latent heat storage capacity of 104.5-163.4 J/g.
• Heat storage and release occurred over wide temperature ranges (-0.7-100.2 °C and -9.8-85.8 °C).
• Gypsum plaster with FT/MF capsules showed reduced heating/cooling rates over an extended temperature range.

Conclusions:

• FT/MF capsules are a promising, versatile additive for thermal energy storage applications.
• Encapsulation overcomes limitations of individual paraffins, enabling broader temperature regulation.
• This technology offers a cost-effective solution for enhancing thermal properties of building materials.