Energy Storage Science and Technology ›› 2019, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (4): 759-763.doi: 10.12028/j.issn.2095-4239.2019.0036

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Properties of stearic acid/modified carbon nanotube composite phase change materials

YANG Yuehao1, CHENG Xiaomin1,2, LI Dan1, LI Yuanyuan1   

  1. 1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China;
    2 School of Electromechanical and Automobile Engineering, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang 438000, Hubei, China
  • Received:2019-03-14 Revised:2019-04-16 Online:2019-07-01 Published:2019-04-16

Abstract: Modifed carbon nanotubes were prepared by through acid oxidation and ball milling before combined with stearic acid to prepare a composite phase change material. X-ray diffraction results showed that the ball milling treatment damaged the structure of the carbon nanotubes, whereas no changes occurred to the phase of the carbon nanotubes after oxidation with the mixed acid. Infrared spectroscopic analyses indicated that the ball milling treatment and mixed acid oxidation gave a purifying effect on the carbon nanotubes, and the acidifed carbon nanotubes exhibited functional groups such as hydroxyl groups and carbonyl groups, contributing to the dispersion of the carbon nanotubes. The scanning electron microscopic analyses suggested that the dispersibility of the modified carbon nanotubes in stearic acid was acidified carbon nanotubes > ball-milled carbon nanotubes > carbon nanotubes. The thermal conductivity results also agreed with this above order, indicating that the dispersion of carbon nanotubes increased the thermal conductivity of stearic acid.

Key words: carbon nanotubes, stearic acid, phase change, thermal storage

CLC Number: