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Applied Energy: Weilong Wang, Xiaoxi Yang, Yutang Fang, Jing Ding
Applied Energy: Weilong Wang, Xiaoxi Yang, Yutang Fang, Jing Ding
Applied Energy
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/apenergy
a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t
Article history: This work mainly involved the preparation and characterization of form-stable polyethylene glycol
Received 15 October 2007 (PEG)/silicon dioxide (SiO2) composite as a novel solidliquid phase change material (PCM). In this study,
Received in revised form 22 November 2007 the polyethylene glycol/silicon dioxide composites as form-stable, solidliquid phase change material
Accepted 1 December 2007
(PCM) was prepared. In this new material, the polyethylene glycol acts as the latent heat storage material
Available online 13 February 2008
and silicon dioxide serves as the supporting material, which provides structural strength and prevents
the leakage of the melted polyethylene glycol. Results indicated that the composite remained solid when
Keywords:
the weight percentage of silicon dioxide was higher than 15%. Moreover, the polyethylene glycol was
Polyethylene glycol
Silicon dioxide
observed to disperse into the network of the solid silicon dioxide by investigation of the structure of
Heat storage materials the composite PCMs using a scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The properties of the porous materi-
Phase change materials als and phase change materials were characterized using Fourier transformation infrared spectroscope
(FTIR). The transition process was observed using polarizing optical microscope (POM) and dynamic
thermo mechanic analysis (DMA). The melting temperatures and latent heats of the form-stable PEG/
SiO2 composite PCMs were determined using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC).
2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
0306-2619/$ - see front matter 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2007.12.003
W. Wang et al. / Applied Energy 86 (2009) 170174 171
Fig. 1. The SEM photograph of the PEG/SiO2 composite PCM. Fig. 2. The TEM photograph of the PEG/SiO2 composite PCM.
Fig. 3. POM of samples: (a) PEG (60 C); (b) PEG (64 C); (c) PEG (68 C) and (d) PEG/SiO2 (85/15) (110 C).
172 W. Wang et al. / Applied Energy 86 (2009) 170174
Fig. 5. FTIR spectrum of (a) PEG, (b) SiO2 and (c) composite.
The melting point and the heat of fusion of the solid compos-
ite were determined using a differential scanning calorimeter
(PerkinsElmer DSC-2C) calibrated with an indium standard in the
range from 30 C to 120 C. The scanning rate was at 10 C/min.
An observation of polarizing optical microscope was performed
on a 12 pol microscope equipped with a digital camera. The sample
was placed between a microscope glass and a cover slip.
Microphotographs were taken of the surface made by fracturing
Fig. 4. DMA analysis: (a) PEG; (b) PEG/SiO2 (85/15). the specimen in liquid nitrogen and then casting it with gold (AU)
powder.
Silicon dioxide and PEG solution were each prepared by dissolv- 3.1. Structure analysis of the form-stable composite PCMs
ing silicon dioxide and PEG in water with quick continuous stirring
for 12 h. The prepared solutions were then mixed at room temper- Figs. 1 and 2 show SEM and TEM photographs of the microstruc-
ature at different weight ratios ranging from 95 wt.% to 5 wt.%. tures of the form-stable PEG/SiO2 composite PCMs. From these g-
After stirring for 3 h, the mixed solution was put into a drying cab- ures, it can be seen that the polyethylene glycol is dispersed into the
inet and heated at 100 C for 24 h. Then the solid composite was network of solid SiO2 used as supporting material. This structure
Fig. 6. DSC curve (heating cycle): (a) PEG; (b) PEG/SiO2 (85/15).
W. Wang et al. / Applied Energy 86 (2009) 170174 173
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