China Plastics ›› 2025, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (3): 19-24.DOI: 10.19491/j.issn.1001-9278.2025.03.004

• Materials and Properties • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Fabrication of foamy phase change materials with enhanced thermal performance by emulsion⁃templating method

DENG Jingqian1(), KONG Peng2, HOU Dandan1()   

  1. 1.Sinopec Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry,Sinopec Key Laboratory of Research and Application of Medical and Hygienic Materials,Beijing 100013,China
    2.Key Laboratory of Carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers,Beijing University of Chemical Technology,Beijing 100029,China
  • Received:2024-09-04 Online:2025-03-26 Published:2025-03-24

Abstract:

Polystyrene/paraffin phase⁃change composite foam (EPSPW) was prepared through encapsulating paraffin into the pores of the foam using an emulsion⁃templating method. SEM observation indicated that the porosity of EPSPW ranged from 85 to 92 vol% and the pore size ranged from 3.5 to 10 μm with a narrow distribution. When the paraffin content was 30 wt%, EPSPW exhibited excellent shape stability without any leakage of paraffin, and its loading of paraffin was 33 times as great as its own mass. The leaching test results indicated that the mass loss rate of the sample was only 3 wt% at temperatures above the melting point of paraffin. EPSPW presented a melting enthalpy of 32 J/g, which was much higher than that of directly foamed phase⁃change foam materials (mostly around 15~20 J/g). In addition, EPSPW exhibited good cycle stability over 50 heating/cooling cycles.

Key words: foamy phase change material, emulsion template, paraffin wax, thermal performance

CLC Number: