Effect of nanomaterials on the melting and freezing characteristics of phase change material

Abstract

A novel variant of composite phase change materials (PCMs) has been developed by incorporating 0.5 wt% of Al2O3, SiO2, CuO, and Ag nanomaterials into myristic acid. In this formulation, myristic acid serves as the foundational material, while Al2O3, SiO2, CuO, and Ag are employed as supportive components. The morphology and crystalline structure of the nanomaterials were studied using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively. The composite phase change materials were fabricated using a two-step process. The phase change properties of the composite phase change materials were assessed using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The nanomaterials (0.5 wt% of Al2O3, SiO2, CuO, and Ag) were suspended in myristic acid separately to investigate the heat transfer performance of the composite phase change materials during phase change processes (melting and freezing). The results clearly indicate that the duration of the melting and freezing processes of the composite phase change materials decreased compared to that of the pure phase change material. Thus, the newly prepared composite phase change materials are potential candidates for harvesting solar energy for low-temperature heating applications.