Thermal properties and stabilities of the eutectic mixture: 1,6-hexanediol/lauric acid as a phase change material for thermal energy storage

• Published in: Applied thermal engineering Vol. 116; pp. 153 - 159
• Main Authors: Han, Lipeng, Ma, Guixiang, Xie, Shaolei, Sun, Jinhe, Jia, Yongzhong, Jing, Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2017; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: 1,6-hexanediol; Differential scanning calorimetry; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Energy storage; Eutectic composition; Eutectic mixture; Eutectic temperature; Eutectics; Fourier analysis; Fourier transforms; Heat measurement; Heat of fusion; Infrared analysis; Infrared radiation; Infrared spectroscopy; Latent heat; Lauric acid; Melting; Phase change material; Phase change materials; Phase transitions; Spectroscopic analysis; Stability; Studies; Thermal energy; Thermodynamic properties; Thermogravimetric analysis; Eutectic mixture; Phase change material; Stability; Lauric acid; 1,6-hexanediol
• ISSN: 1359-4311; 1873-5606
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2017.01.082

•The eutectic mixture of 1,6-hexanediol/lauric acid was studied as a phase change material.•The mass fraction of 1,6-hexanediol in eutectic point is 70%.•The melting point and latent heat are measured to be 36.92°C and 177.11Jg−1.•The eutectic mixture showed good thermal and cyclic stabilities. Thermal properties and stabilities of the eutectic mixture: 1,6-hexanediol (HE) and lauric acid (LA) as a new phase change material (PCM) for latent heat thermal energy storage (TES) were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicated that the aforementioned HE/LA mixture with eutectic composition (70/30wt.%) was a suitable PCM in terms of melting point (Tpeak=36.92±0.71°C) and latent heat of fusion (ΔHm=177.11±7.93Jg−1). After 1000 thermal cycles, the change in melting point for the eutectic mixture was in the range of −0.49% to −1.19%, and the change in latent heat of fusion was in the range of −0.22% to −3.24%. The eutectic mixture was thermally and chemically stable according to results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), volatile test and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis. Therefore, the HE/LA eutectic mixture is an effective TES material to reduce energy consumption.