Preparation, characterization and thermal properties of lauric acid/expanded perlite as novel form-stable composite phase change material

This paper mainly includes the preparation of a novel form-stable composite phase change material (PCM) by incorporation of lauric acid (LA) within the expanded perlite (EP), characterization of the composite by SEM and FT-IR techniques and determination of thermal properties and thermal reliability of the composite PCM using DSC analysis. The LA could be retained by 60 wt.% into EP without melted PCM seepage from the composite and therefore, this composite was described as form-stable composite PCM. SEM results showed that the LA confined into porous of EP. FT-IR analysis indicated that the composite formation of porous EP and LA was physical. The melting and freezing temperatures and latent heats of the composite were measured as 44.13 °C and 40.97 °C; 93.36 J/g and 94.87 J/g, respectively, by DSC analysis. Thermal cycling test showed that the form-stable composite PCM has good thermal reliability and chemical stability although it was subjected to 1000 melting/freezing cycling. Besides, thermal conductivity of the composite PCM was increased approximately as 86% by adding 10 wt.% expanded graphite (EG). As a result, this composite PCM could be considered to have good potential for thermal energy storage because of its good thermal energy storage properties, thermal and chemical reliability and thermal conductivity.