Superhydrophobic Shape-Stable Phase-Change Materials Based on Artificially Cultured Diatom Frustule-Derived Porous Ceramics

Abstract

Solid−liquid phase-change materials (PCMs) offer exciting potential for energy conservation, but they suffer from a vital drawback of significant leakage. To overcome this issue, we develop a new strategy to obtain high-performance leakage-proof shape-stable phase-change materials (ss-PCMs) by the combination of an inner porous frame and outer superhydrophobic covers. Paraffin wax as PCM was first trapped into artificially cultured diatom frustule-derived porous ceramics, which was then encapsulated using diatom frustule-based superhydrophobic coatings. The prepared ss-PCMs exhibit a wax loading of 52.28 wt % with a melting enthalpy of 117.5 J•g −1 and a high stability even after 500 thermal cycles as well as a 72.7% increase in thermal conductivity. In addition, the prepared ss-PCMs show a compressive strength of as high as 13.0 MPa. The superhydrophobic coatings provide ss-PCMs with superior chemical resistance and excellent mechanical robustness under long-distance abrasion, cyclic tape-peeling, and water jet impact. This porous ceramicembedded, superhydrophobic coating-encapsulated strategy for obtaining high-performance ss-PCMs is expected to find potential applications in energy-efficient buildings, thermal management in electronic devices, self-cleaning materials, and so on.

Large‐Scale Fabrication of Flexible EVA/EG@PW Phase Change Composites with High Thermal Conductivity for Thermal Management

“…The PCC exhibits high cross section and enhanced in-plane thermal conductivity under ultra-low GS load. Besides, metals, [24] ceramics, [25] porous carbon, [26][27][28] carbon fibers, [29,30] boron nitride, [31] and other materials have been widely used to prepare thermal conductive frameworks. Although these materials greatly improve the thermal conductivity of the porous skeleton and are conducive to the rapid release of heat, there are many problems when applied in practice.…”