Dimensionally Stable Delignified Bamboo Matrix Phase-Change Composite under Ambient Temperature for Indoor Thermal Regulation

Abstract

Energy storage materials to modulate indoor microclimates are needed to improve energy efficiency and for human comfort. Of these, phase-change material (PCM) is considered a very useful material because of its excellent latent heat energy storage. For application, some synthetic porous materials for supporting PCM are usually not friendly enough for people and housing environments due to their non-degradation characteristics. Hence, to develop an eco-friendly porous material is needed in order to encapsulate PCM composites that are always expected in indoor applications. In this work, heat-treated bamboo bricks were delignified to provide a delignified bamboo (DB) matrix. A phase-change composite was then fabricated by impregnating DB with polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer. Impregnation was carried out under wet conditions to ensure the regular arrangement of the DB structure so as to achieve dimensional stability. The final DB/PEG composite was investigated for dimensional stability, load rate, latent heat, and phase-change temperature. Results showed that the DB matrix could be easily impregnated with PEG polymer under wet conditions, and the DB/PEG composite was found to have high enthalpy and a large phase-change temperature interval. Moreover, the composite was found to be a good regulator of indoor temperature and a stable dimension with a snow-white appearance. In summary, this DB/PEG composite is an energy storage material with the potential to modulate ambient indoor temperature and reduce building energy consumption.