Energy Storage Science and Technology ›› 2020, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (2): 440-447.doi: 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2019.0297

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Effect of the in situ synthesis of nano-ZnO on the specific heat capacity of solar salt

XIONG Feng1, CHENG Xiaomin1(), LI Yuanyuan1, DAI Pei1, WANG Xiuli1, ZHONG Hao2   

  1. 1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
    2. Guangdong Hongjin New Material Technology Co. Ltd. , Dongguan 523808, Guangdong, China
  • Received:2019-12-30 Revised:2020-02-03 Online:2020-03-05 Published:2020-03-15
  • Contact: Xiaomin CHENG E-mail:chengxm@whut.edu.cn

Abstract:

Solar salt as a heat storage material with optimum thermal properties has promising application prospects with respect to the thermal power and heat storage of solar energy. By enhancing the specific heat capacity of solar salt, it is possible to considerably improve the thermal storage capacity. In this study, nano-ZnO flakes were synthesized in situ in solar salt via the hydrothermal method, and granular ZnO was synthesized in situ in solar salt via the combustion method. XRD, EDS, FE-SEM, TEM, and DSC were used to study the effect of nano-ZnO on the structure and properties of solar salt. Results show that the size of ZnO nanosheets is between 50 and 200 nm, the size of ZnO nanoparticles is between 30 and 200 nm, and nano-ZnO has good dispersibility in salt. When the weight content of ZnO nanoflakes in solar salt was 1%, the specific heat of the solid and liquid of modified solar salt reached 2.09 and 1.78 J·(g·℃)-1, which denote an increase of 71.3% and 38.0%, respectively. When the ZnO nanoparticle weight content in solar salt was 0.75%, the solid and liquid specific heat of modified solar salt reached 2.22 and 1.88 J·(g·℃)-1, which denote an increase of 82.0% and 45.7%, respectively. The addition of granular ZnO has a better specific heat capacity enhancement effect on solar salt than that of ZnO nanoflakes.

Key words: Solar salt, ZnO nanosheets, ZnO nanoparticles, in-situ method, specific heat capacity

CLC Number: