Polyethylene glycol (PEG)/ expanded vermiculite (EVMT) shape-stabilized composite phase change material (ss-CPCM) was prepared by a facile vacuum impregnation method. The maximum mass percentage for PEG retained in ss-CPCM was 75.1 wt.% due to specific non-uniform flat layers pore structure of EVMT. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis results indicated that the melted PEG was adsorbed on the surface and completely dispersed into the pores of EVMT and no chemical changes took place during the heating and cooling processes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the crystal structure of PEG was not destroyed after impregnation whereas the crystallization process of PEG was greatly restrained. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicated that ss-CPCM melted at 57.61°C with a latent heat of 103.1 J/g and solidified at 33.19°C with a latent heat of 88.29 J/g. In addition, the thermal conductivity of ss-CPCM reached 0.418W/m K. The ss-CPCM can be considered as promising candidate materials for building applications due to their suitable phase change temperature, large latent heat and excellent chemical compatibility.
Preparation and Thermal Properties of Molecular-Bridged Expanded Graphite/Polyethylene Glycol Composite Phase Change Materials for Building Energy Conservation
