Fabrication and characterization of form-stable FA ternary eutectic mixture/GO nanocomposite for thermal energy storage

The thermal conductivity of commonly used phase change materials (PCM) for thermal energy storage (TES), such as, fatty acids, paraffin etc., is relatively poor, which is one of the main drawbacks for limiting their utility. In the recent past, few attempts have been made to enhance the thermal conductivity of PCM by mixing different additives in the appropriate amount. Graphene nanoparticles, having higher thermal conductivity may be a potential candidate for the same, when mixed appropriately with different PCM. In present study, acetic acid , tristearin and stearic acid (CA-PA-SA) ternary eutectic mixture was impregnated into nano-graphene oxide (nano-GO) to prepare a form-stable composite PCM (CAPA-SA/nano-SiO2). The phase change temperature range of the composite PCM is 17.2 ◦C–26 ◦C, which is suitable for indoor thermal environment. The high latent heat value and thermal conductivity of the composite PCM are 169.43 kJ kg-1 and 0.68239 W (m K)-1, which is helpful to stabilize the indoor temperature for a long time and improve human comfort. Furthermore, after 500 heating/cooling cycles, the composite PCM showed good thermal and chemical stability. All the results indicated that the composite PCM is suitable for storing excess solar radiation and reducing the amount and rate of heat loss of buildings in the winter, which will help reduce building energy consumption.