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Phase Change Heat Insulation Based on Wax‐Clay Nanotube Composites
Author(s) -
Zhao Yafei,
Thapa Suvhashis,
Weiss Leland,
Lvov Yuri
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
advanced engineering materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.938
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1527-2648
pISSN - 1438-1656
DOI - 10.1002/adem.201400094
Subject(s) - materials science , thermal conductivity , composite material , carbon nanotube , wax , graphite , composite number , phase change material , thermal insulation , halloysite , paraffin wax , thermal energy storage , heat flux , phase (matter) , heat transfer , nanotube , thermal , layer (electronics) , thermodynamics , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry
Wax can be used as a phase change material in solar energy storage but has low thermal conductivity and cannot sustain shape at higher temperature (above 55 °C). Introducing 50% halloysite clay nanotubes into wax yields a stable and homogenous phase change composite with thermal conductivity of 0.36 Wm –1 K –1 and no leaking until 70 °C. Graphite and carbon nanotubes can further increase the conductivity and shape stabilized temperature as high as 1.4 Wm −1 K −1 and 91°C. Vectorial thermal energy transfer for double layers of different composition was demonstrated: heat flux difference in the opposite directions differed by 25%. The new wax‐nanoclay composite is a promising heat storage material due to good heat capacity, high thermal conductivity and ability to preserve its shape during wax melting.