Thermo-regulated sheath/core submicron fiber with poly(diethylene glycol hexadecyl ether acrylate) as a core

Abstract

Side-chain crystallizable comb-like polymers can be used as polymeric thermal energy-storage materials. Diethylene glycol hexadecyl ether acrylate (C16E2AA) was synthesized with sodium alkoxide using diethylene glycol hexadecyl ether (C16E2) and acryloyl chloride as reactants. C16E2AA was prepared by free radical polymerization to form a comb-like polymeric phase change material, poly(diethylene glycol hexadecyl ether acrylate) (PC16E2AA). A series of sheath/core composite submicron fibers were coaxially electrospun using PC16E2AA as the core and poly(acrylonitrile-co-vinylidene chloride) as the sheath. Results indicate that C16E2AA and PC16E2AA were synthesized in high yield. The average molecular weight and polydispersity index of PC16E2AA were 29,800 g/mol and 3.17, respectively. PC16E2AA melted at 33.8 C and crystallized at 25.8 C. The melting and crystallization enthalpy for PC16E2AA were 90 and 85 J/g, respectively. PC16E2AA was thermally stable below 326 C. Coaxial submicron fibers with smooth surface and average diameter ranging from 341 to 371 nm were electrospun. The optimum feed rate of the sheath and core components for fabricating thermo-regulated submicron fibers with high enthalpies were 0.125 and 0.375 mL/h, respectively. The fibers can absorb 50 J/g at approximately 37 C and release 48 J/g of heat at approximately 32 C.Phase change materials (PCMs) are reusable energystorage materials that can absorb significant amounts of energy as latent heat and release it into the surroundings during a solid-liquid or solid-solid phase change over a defined temperature range. 1 PCMs have been used for energy-saving buildings, 2,3 solar energy storage, 4 waste heat recycling, 5 both smart fibers and fabrics 6,7 and garment cooling. 8 The research on traditional solid-liquid organic PCMs (such as paraffin waxes, fatty alcohols and aliphatic polyesters) has attracted increasing attention. 1 However, severe supercooling and leakage into the surrounding environment during solid-liquid transitions limit their practical application. 6,9 PCMs can be encapsulated to obtain microencapsulated phase change materials (microPCMs) or nanoencapsulated phase change materials (nanoPCMs) that remain in the solid state forever. Leakage of PCMs during the phase change process can be decreased when polymers such as polyethylene glycol, aliphatic polyesters and block copolymers 10,11 are used as PCMs. However, few materials that satisfy the demands are available. The fabrication, structure and properties of a series of comb-like polymers with crystallizable side chains have been investigated for decades. 12-16 However, these polymers are seldom used as polymeric phase change materials (PPCMs) because the temperature range between the melting and crystallization temperature for some PPCMs is too high or the enthalpy too low to be Tianjin Municipal Key Lab of Fiber Modification and Functional Fiber,

Effects of Fatty Acid Anhydride on the Structure and Thermal Properties of Cellulose-g-Polyoxyethylene (2) Hexadecyl Ether

“…There are three diffraction peaks in the WAXD pattern of cellulose, whose locations are 14.8°, 16.4°, and 22.6°, and the d-spacings are 0.60 nm, 0.54 nm, and 0.39 nm, respectively. E 2 C 16 shows two sharp peaks centered at 21.2° and a small peak centered at 23.7°, with d-spacings of 0.42 nm and 0.38 nm, and the crystal type of E 2 C 16 is hexagonal [18]. It is reported that the characteristic diffraction peaks (110) and (020) of cellulose II are locate at 19.9° and 22.1° [19].…”

Fabrication and Characterization of Novel Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials Based on P(TDA-co-HDA)/GO Composites

“…Increasing greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption fueled the exploration of more efficient renewable energy sources [1,2]. Effective energy storage devices and systems are critical to increasing energy adequacy and reducing time and space mismatches in energy supply and demand, thereby reducing environmental impact [3,4,5,6]. Energy savings could be realized by thermal energy storage systems that use phase change materials (PCMs) [6,7,8].…”

Poly(mono/diethylene glycol n-tetradecyl ether vinyl ether)s with Various Molecular Weights as Phase Change Materials

“…The first comb-like polymers, poly(n-alkyl acrylate)s, were synthesized by Fisher [6] using the radical polymerization method. Since then, poly(n-alkyl methacrylate)s, poly(n-alkyl vinyl ester)s, poly(n-alkyl vinyl ether)s, poly(n-alkyl acrylamide)s, poly(n-alkyl ethylene)s, poly(n-alkyl ethylene oxide)s, poly(polyethylene glycol octadecyl ether methacrylate), poly(diethylene glycol hexadecyl ether acrylate), and poly(n-alkyl itaconate)s [7][8][9][10][11][12] were synthesized in succession. These reports about comb-like polymers with different topologies, rigidity degrees of main chains, and the length scale of Liu et al [13] prepared a series of shape-stabilized comb-like polymeric phase change materials (poly(ethylene-graft-maleic anhydride)-g-alkyl alcohol) by the esterification reaction.…”

“…The melting and crystallizing enthalpy of poly(C 18 E 2 MMA) were 73 and 81 J/g, respectively, which started to melt at 41.1 • C and crystallize at 35.4 • C. Zhang et al [7] synthesized diethylene glycol hexadecyl ether acrylate (C 16 E 2 AA), and then poly(diethylene glycol hexadecyl ether acrylate) (PC 16 E 2 AA) was prepared by free radical polymerization. PC 16 E 2 AA melted at 33.8 • C and crystallized at 25.8 • C, and the melting and crystallizing enthalpy were 90 and 85 J/g, respectively.…”