Pristine and modified exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnPs and M-xGnPs, respectively) were dispersed into a paraffin wax phase change material (PCM) in an effort to raise the thermal conductivity of the PCM. The addition of pure xGnPs would decrease the electrical resistivity of the composite PCM, and thus its potential for use in electrical devices would be limited due to safety concerns. To eliminate this issue, the M-xGnPs were prepared. Samples ...
The authors have carried out an experimental and numerical study on the effects of seeding Al2O3 nanoparticles in a paraffin wax phase change material (PCM) on the thermal conductivity and the latent heat of fusion. It was determined that the addition of the nanoparticles (up to 1 wt. %) resulted in the nano-PCM having a higher thermal conductivity than the pure paraffin wax. The latent heat of fusion was also found ...
A paraffin-based composite phase change material (PCM) was prepared by the addition of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets to melted paraffin wax followed by vigorous stirring. The nanosheets were added in quantities ranging from 1 to 10 wt. %. A reference sample of pure paraffin was also prepared. It was determined that the addition of h-BN nanosheets resulted in an increase in thermal conductivity and that the melting and solidification rates were also ...
A composite PCM was prepared from n-octadecane and mesoporous silica (MPSiO2) nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were added in quantities ranging from 1 wt. % to 5 wt. %, and the thermal conductivity of each composite sample was determined as a function of temperature. The most significant enhancement in thermal conductivity was observed in the sample containing 3 wt. % MPSiO2 nanoparticles. The viscosity of the composite samples was also investigated and it was found that at mass ...
Nanocomposite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared by adding silver nanoparticles to isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and an iPP/paraffin wax phase change materials. The Ag nanoparticles were found to be well dispersed in both iPP and the iPP/wax composite, and filler agglomeration was found to increase with increasing filler content. The nanoparticles did not significantly affect the modulus of the iPP on its own, but when Ag and paraffin ...
