Development and characterization of form-stable porous TiO₂/tetradecanoic acid based composite PCM with long-term stability as solar thermal energy storage material

The present study focused on the preparation of form-stable composites of 1-tetradecanoic acid (TDA)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂) powder via a facile impregnation method. The use of powdered TiO₂ as porous material and thermal conductivity enhancer for TDA is a novel attempt. The morphological, chemical, and crystalline properties of form-stable composite PCMs (Fs-CPCMs), containing different amounts of TiO₂, were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The finding supports that the produced composites were chemically and structurally stable. The latent heat storage (LHS) properties of composites were obtained from differential scanning calorimeter instrument, and the findings revealed that the Fs-CPCM with 50 mass% TDA has a melting temperature of 52.04°C and a considerably good LHS capacity of 97.75 J/g. The thermal conductivity of TDA was increased remarkably by the addition of TiO₂ micro particles. The results obtained from thermogravimetric analysis and thermal cycling test exhibited that the Fs-CPCM, containing 50 mass% TiO₂, possesses great thermal degradation durability, cycling chemical stability, and thermal reliability. This composite PCM can be very well used for passive thermal management of electronic devices, automotive components, photovoltaic thermal hybrid designs, solar air/water heating systems, etc.