Phase change heat insulation based on wax-clay nanotube composites

Abstract

Wax can be used as a phase change material in solar energy storage but has low thermal conductivity and cannot sustain shape at higher temperature (above 55 °C). Introducing 50% halloysite clay nanotubes into wax yields a stable and homogenous phase change composite with thermal conductivity of 0.36Wm-1 K-1 and no leaking until 70 °C. Graphite and carbon nanotubes can further increase the conductivity and shape stabilized temperature as high as 1.4Wm-1 K-1 and 91° C. Vectorial thermal energy transfer for double layers of different composition was demonstrated: heat flux difference in the opposite directions differed by 25%. The new wax-nanoclay composite is a promising heat storage material due to good heat capacity, high thermal conductivity and ability to preserve its shape during wax melting.