Development of cost-effective PCM-carbon foam composites for thermal energy storage

Liu, Xin; Yang, Fangming; Li, Mengbin; Sun, Chenggong; Wu, Yupeng

Abstract

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) has gained considerable interest for storing thermal energy originating from the solar irradiation, industrial waste heat and surplus heat. Here, we present the facile and scalable synthesis of PCM-carbon foam composites by using polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam derived carbon foam as porous support. The unique 3D molecular configuration of the carbon foam materials embedded the composites with high PCM loading capacity, excellent shape stabilization and thermal reliability and chemical stability. The carbon foams prepared by facile chemical activation method with high surface area up to 1968 m2/g exhibit high PCM loading capacity of up to 90.8 wt% and excellent energy storage capacity of up to 105.2 J/g. Advanced characterization demonstrated that the total pore volume of carbon foam governs the PCM loading capacity as well as the energy storage performance of the composites. This work provides a potential pathway to recycle PIR foams, which have been widely used in construction industry, by producing cost-effective PCM composites for thermal energy storage.

Citation

Liu, X., Yang, F., Li, M., Sun, C., & Wu, Y. (2022). Development of cost-effective PCM-carbon foam composites for thermal energy storage. Energy Reports, 8, 1696-1703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.12.065

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 21, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jan 13, 2022
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jan 13, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 13, 2022
• Journal: Energy Reports
• Electronic ISSN: 2352-4847
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Pages: 1696-1703
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.12.065
• Keywords: Carbon foam, Thermal energy storage, Phase change materials, PCM composites
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/7225955
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484721015043