Nanomaterial-Enhanced Phase Change Materials

Energy efficiency and environmental protection have elevated to the top of humanity’s concerns in recent years. Energy and environmental problems can be partially resolved by using phase change materials for thermal energy storage since phase change materials can improve the sustainability and efficiency of energy. During the heating/cooling process, phase change materials store and release energy at a constant temperature due to their high latent heat. Thus, phase change materials have obtained a wide range of applications in numerous industries, including the construction sector, solar energy systems, power systems, and the military. However, the low thermal conductivity of phase change materials results in a low heat transfer rate; hence, several studies have been conducted to enhance phase change materials’ thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the effectiveness of phase change materials’ thermal conductivity can be improved by the addition of nanoparticles, and the resulting material is known as nanocomposite phase change material. The following is a review of the preparation techniques as well as the thermal properties of various nanocomposite phase change materials. Future work for nanocomposite phase change materials and latent heat thermal energy storage systems is also suggested in this chapter.