Preparation and Characterization of Lauric Acid/Modified Fly Ash/Graphene Composite as Low-Cost and Eco-Friendly Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage

Peng Liu, Xinglan Cui, Yajing Wang (), Zhikai Zhang, Jun Rao, Shuai Jiang and Xiaobin Gu ()
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Peng Liu: School of Gems and Materials Technology, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China
Xinglan Cui: The National Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Metallurgy in Producing Premium Non-Ferrous Metals, GRINM Resources and Environmental Technology Corporation Limited, Beijing 100088, China
Yajing Wang: School of Gems and Materials Technology, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China
Zhikai Zhang: School of Water Resources and Environment, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China
Jun Rao: School of Gems and Materials Technology, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China
Shuai Jiang: Shengli Xinda New Material Company Ltd., Dongying 257000, China
Xiaobin Gu: Materials Interfaces Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518005, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: Fly ash is a kind of industrial solid waste that is considered “hazardous waste”. In this study, a supporting matrix of modified fly ash (MFA) was employed to package lauric acid (LA) via a facile direct impregnation method involving less experimental error. A low-cost and eco-friendly form-stable phase change material (PCM) of LA/MFA/graphene (G) was fabricated, with G as the thermal conductivity enhancer. The preparation and leakage testing of an LA/MFA/G form-stable PCM (FSPCM) were investigated in detail. The leakage test results indicated that good package efficiency was obtained using MFA with a higher specific surface area and richer pore structure to pack the LA. Then, LA/MFA/G composites were characterized via scanning electronic microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results showed that excellent form stability was obtained by adding MFA as the supporting matrix. The SEM analysis indicated that LA could be well dispersed into the structure of MFA. The FTIR analysis demonstrated that the components of the FSPCM were quite compatible. The results of the DSC illustrated that LA/MFA/G (5 wt. %) had a melting point of 45.38 °C and a latent heat of 41.08 J/g. The TGA analysis revealed that the prepared FSPCM had better thermal stability compared with LA within its working temperature range. In addition, the effects of G on the heat transfer performance of the prepared FSPCM were examined. In short, using MFA with a higher specific surface area and richer pore structure to pack the LA via a simple preparation process with less experimental error can contribute to good performance. The research not only improved the comprehensive utilization of solid waste, but also promotes the application of FSPCM in the field of building energy conservation.

Keywords: lauric acid; modified fly ash; graphene; FSPCM; thermal energy storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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