Form‐stable phase change materials supported by nanostructured zinc polyacrylate weakening super cooling of polyethylene glycol

Abstract

In order to solve the leakage and distinct super cooling issues of polyethylene glycol (PEG), zinc polyacrylate was used as the supporting material to prepare PEG‐based form‐stable phase change materials (FSPCMs) in this paper. The polyacrylate fractions of zinc polyacrylate are crosslinked by zinc ions through electrovalent bonding. Due to the strong intermolecular force between PEG molecules and the crosslinked polyacrylate fractions, the PCMs have stabilized shape even at 90°C. Zinc ions will gather together because of the incompatibility between PEG matrix and zinc ions, to form nanostructure as the nucleating agent of PEG, weakening the supercooling of the FSPCMs. The enthalpy change values of the FSPCMs in the phase transition processes are all above 120.0 J g−1, showing good thermal energy storage capacity. Additionally, the FSPCMs after 100 times of thermal cycling possess similar thermal properties to the original ones, indicating that the nanostructured zinc polyacrylate has stable interaction with the PEG matrix.

An intrinsic antistatic polyethylene glycol‐based solid–solid phase change material for thermal energy storage and thermal management

“…[17][18][19] To address this issue, PEG is always linked with multifunctional reagents to form crosslinking structure giving rise to PEG-based solid-solid PCMs (SSPCMs), [20][21][22] or combined with supporting materials obtaining PEG-based form-stable PCMs (FSPCMs). [23][24][25] These PEG-based PCMs retain, or partially retain the aforementioned advantages of pure PEG.…”

“…However, as a solid–liquid PCM, PEG is subject to leakage problem in melting process, which hampers the application of the material in many areas 17–19 . To address this issue, PEG is always linked with multifunctional reagents to form crosslinking structure giving rise to PEG‐based solid–solid PCMs (SSPCMs), 20–22 or combined with supporting materials obtaining PEG‐based form‐stable PCMs (FSPCMs) 23–25 . These PEG‐based PCMs retain, or partially retain the aforementioned advantages of pure PEG.…”

A form-stable phase change material based on intermolecular hydrogen bonding with a high chemical recycling rate

“…[19][20][21][22] Leakage during the solid-to-liquid transition is a distinct problem associated with PEG, and it hampers its practical application for thermal energy storage and thermal management. [23][24][25] To solve this problem, PEG is fixed with supporting materials or encapsulated in microcapsules to obtain form-stable PCMs (FSPCMs), 26,27 or PEG is reacted with other chemicals to obtain solid-solid PCMs (SSPCMs) with a crosslinked structure. 28,29 To achieve sustainable development of materials and technologies, researchers endowed PCMs with recyclability by means of various methods.…”

Single‐step preparation of intrinsic solid–solid phase change materials with excellent anti‐leakage and form‐stable performance

“…Currently, the production and consumption of energy are predominantly reliant on non-renewable fossil fuels such as oil and coal. 1,2 According to the International Energy Agency, recent data indicate that the shares of oil, coal, and natural gas in global energy consumption are 24%, 21%, and 32%, respectively. Meanwhile, renewable energy and nuclear energy contributions stand at 11% and 4%.…”

“…Meanwhile, renewable energy and nuclear energy contributions stand at 11% and 4%. 1,3,4 Despite the predominance of fossil fuels as the main source of global energy consumption, the rising global population, and economic development are escalating energy demands daily. [5][6][7][8] This situation not only threatens the imminent depletion of fossil fuels but also results in significant environmental pollution due to extensive combustion.…”