Carbon Soot/n-carboxylic Acids Composites As Form-stable Phase Change Materials For Thermal Energy Storage

Spongy carbon soot (s-CS) was prepared and used as novel host material of the form-stable composite phase change materials (PCMs). The s-CS was constructed by the interconnected and compact large agglomerates of the soot particles with an average size of 25-60 nm. The average pore diameter of the s-CS was measured to be 15.3 nm. Owing to capillary forces of s-CS, n-carboxylic acids can be easily absorbed into the pores and stay stable without leakage. The PCMs/s-CS composite present a high heat storage capacity between 83.42 J g(-1) and 99.63 J g(-1), corresponding to the mass fraction of n-carboxylic acids between 50.10% and 53.20%. The effects of the supporting material on thermal stability and thermal conductivity of composites were investigated by means of thermogravimetry and flash thermal conductivity testing. The PCM/spongy CS composites exhibit excellent thermal stability and durability, and may have great potential for renewable energy saving applications.