Preparation and Properties of Phase Change Material by Microencapsulation of Lauric Acid for Thermal Regulation

Abstract

Lauric acid, the phase change material (PCM) in this study, is encapsulated in a silica shell using a modified sol-gel method. Encapsulation was done at varying pH, mixing ratio, drying temperature and drying time. Analysis of variance revealed that all these parameters and their interactions affect the PCM yield and encapsulation ratio. FT-IR and DSC Analysis showed that the microencapsulated PCM (μPCM) formed using 1:1:2 mixing ratio of Tetraethyl orthosilicate: Ethanol: Water, with pH ∼1.92 and drying condition of 100°C for 7hr had a latent heat of fusion (207.65 J/g) similar to that of pure PCM with latent heat of fusion of 212.47 J/g ). SEM Analysis and DSC were utilized to confirm the efficiency of encapsulation of PCM. The glass sheet with μPCM and binder was found to have a latent heat of 182.14 J/g and a thermal conductivity of 0.0537 W/mK. The glass with silica microencapsulated lauric acid exhibited potential application for energy conservation.