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Abstract: Phase change materials (PCMs) are substances that release large amounts of energy in the form of latent heat when they freeze. Paraffin waxes have many of the desired characteristics PCMs exhibit except that they have low thermal conductivity. In this experiment, Alumina and Carbon Black nanoparticles were added to two types of paraffin waxes (melting points of 20-25 °C) to increase their thermal conductivity. A Transient Plane Source (TPS) measured the thermal conductivity of the paraffin waxes by simultaneously heating the samples while recording the temperature increase over time. Experimental results showed that the thermal conductivity for the solid and nano-PCMs was lower than the melting point of the paraffin waxes. The addition of the Alumina nanoparticles lowered the thermal conductivity of the waxes by approximately 7-8%, while the Carbon Black nanoparticles improved the thermal conductivity of the waxes by more than 25%. Based on this study, paraffin waxes are effective PCMs that can be used on a larger scale moving forward, especially with the addition of Carbon Black nanoparticles.

Reference: Applied Thermal Engineering, 110 (2017) 584-589

DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.03.161