Effect of titania‐silver nanocomposite particle concentration and thermal cycling on characteristics of sodium dodecyl sulfate added paraffin wax thermal energy storage material

Abstract

The present work focuses on analyzing the thermal properties of 0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt% of titania‐silver nanocomposite particles dispersed paraffin wax (NCDPW) PCM without and with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant for both non‐cycled and thermal cycled samples. NCDPW without and with SDS was prepared using electromagnetic stirring and ultrasonication process. 1 wt% titania‐silver NCDPW with SDS in the mass ratio of 1:0.25 (NCP:SDS) is identified as optimum with an enhancement in thermal conductivity of 66.59%, better thermal decomposition stability upto 372°C, good physical interaction between nanocomposite particles (NCP) and paraffin wax (PW). Also, an enhancement in thermal storage efficiency (97.15%), reduction in onset melting time (35.50%) and onset freezing time (29.23%) compared to PW even after several thermal cycling process is achieved. Further, it showed a reduction in melting onset temperature to 59.2°C, an enhancement in melting heat capacity potential by 7.2% and freezing heat capacity potential by 7.7% after thermal cycling process. On the whole, the thermal properties of the base PW are increased due to the addition of titania‐silver NCP with SDS proving it, a promising energy storage medium for thermal energy storage.