Review on clay mineral-based form-stable phase change materials: Preparation, characterization and applications

Thermal energy storage plays a crucial role in energy conservation and environmental protection. Research on thermal energy storage of phase change materials (PCM) has been standing in the forefront of science. Several evident defects exist in the phase change materials such as low thermal conductivity and leakage during the phase change process. Meanwhile, the clay mineral materials have relatively high thermal conductivity and excellent adsorbability, which can successfully remedy the defects resided in PCM. Thus, the researches on clay mineral-based form-stable phase change materials (FSPCM) were reviewed in this paper. Nine kinds of clay mineral materials were summarized, that is kaolin, diatomite, sepiolite, montmorillonite, perlite, SiO2, attapulgite, vermiculite and fly ash. The large specific surface area and prominent porous structure of clay mineral materials can successfully prevent the flow and leakage of PCM within the clay mineral-based FSPCM. Hence, this paper can partly serve as a reference for thermal energy storage and conservation.