Green building material with superior thermal insulation and energy storage properties fabricated by Paraffin and foam cement composite

• Published in: Construction & building materials Vol. 444; p. 137729
• Main Authors: Gu, Yingzi, Wang, Danqian, Cui, Hongzhi, Chen, Xuefei, Liang, Rui, Sun, Guoxing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 20.09.2024
• Subjects: 1H nuclear magnetic resonance; Heat insulation; Heat storage; Microstructure; Phase change material; Heat insulation; Phase change material; Microstructure; 1H nuclear magnetic resonance; Heat storage
• ISSN: 0950-0618
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.137729

In the field of architecture and construction, foam cement has been gradually gaining popularity due to its outstanding attributes of reduced weight, carbon footprint, and potential thermal insulation effects. However, relying solely on the thermal insulation provided by the foam in foam cement lacks the capability to store and release heat. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed by directly incorporating paraffin into foam cement with non-continuous pores, creating a phase change foam cement. The addition of paraffin to foam cement, facilitated by the presence of surfactants in foam, allows the paraffin to disperse. In contrast, if paraffin is directly added to cement without the foam, it tends to aggregate. The internal pore structure, thermal performance, phase change temperature, and relaxation distributions were investigated through equipment such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermal conductivity meter, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and H1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Results indicate that paraffin/foam cement plays a dual function, effectively storing and releasing energy, significantly enhancing its thermal insulation performance. Particularly, the incorporation of 10 vol% paraffin content results in a notable 21.8 % reduction in the thermal conductivity, for foam cement with a density of 600 kg/m3. This is attributed to the heat storage capability of the phase-change paraffin, which absorbs heat as the surrounding temperature rises, synergistically collaborating with the foam. This presents a novel perspective for the development of green and energy-efficient building materials, contributing to the realization of sustainable energy utilization in the construction industry. •The nanoparticle-enhanced stable foam maintains stability in paraffin and cement slurry.•A novel building material composed of paraffin and foam cement, exhibiting both energy storage capabilities and superior thermal insulation performance.