Energy Storage Science and Technology ›› 2024, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (6): 1786-1793.doi: 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2024.0022

• Energy Storage Materials and Devices • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Preparation and characterization of modified CuO nanoparticles/n-octadecane phase change material

Chenyang ZHAO(), Xiaokun YU, Yubing TAO()   

  1. Key Laboratory of Thermo-Fluid Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China
  • Received:2024-01-08 Revised:2024-01-22 Online:2024-06-28 Published:2024-06-26
  • Contact: Yubing TAO E-mail:zhaochenyang66@stu.xjtu.edu.cn;yubingtao@mail.xjtu.edu.cn

Abstract:

To enhance the stability and thermophysical properties of composite phase change materials (CPCM), sodium oleate (SOA) was employed to modify CuO nanoparticles, integrating them with n-octadecane to formulate PCMs at varying modified nanoparticle (M-CuO) concentrations. The experimental outcomes indicated a significant increase in the thermal conductivity of CPCM containing 3.0% M-CuO—up to 282.9% compared to pure n-octadecane. Additionally, the melting enthalpy decreased by as much as 6.3% with an M-CuO content of 2.0%. To further enhance the dispersion stability of the nanoparticles, sodium oleate was incorporated as a surfactant, resulting in a thermal conductivity increment of 10.4% for the CPCM compared to those without the surfactant. Molecular dynamics modeling of M-CuO/n-octadecane CPCM revealed that the thermal conductivity was enhanced by 8.6%, 10.4%, and 11.2% at nanoparticle distances of 20 Å, 30 Å, and 40 Å, respectively. Moreover, the interaction energies between M-CuO nanoparticles were reduced by 22.9, 16.3, and 20.0 kcal/mol, respectively, indicating a reduction in interaction energy and an enhancement in their stability. This study provides critical theoretical insights into the thermophysical property enhancement and optimization of CPCM, uncovering the fundamental microscopic mechanisms involved.

Key words: phase change materials, modified nanoparticles, molecular dynamics, thermal conductivity, melting enthalpy

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