Hexagonal boron nitride-loaded macroporous foams as frameworks for development of n-eicosane-based composite phase-change materials

The development of a new composite phase change material (PCM) was accomplished by using n-eicosane, which was belonging to the paraffins. For this goal, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)-loaded macroporous foams were synthesized by emulsion-templating method. The resulting foams were used as supporting materials in the preparation of n-eicosane-based composite PCMs that have improved thermal conduction property. The h-BN was synthesized as additive with the aim of thermal conductivity enhancement, and the porous supporting materials were obtained by polymerization of high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) at various loadings of h-BN nano-fillers (0, 1, 5 and 9 mass/%). The h-BN, h-BN-loaded macroporous polyHIPE foams (MPFs) and composite PCMs were fully characterized by SEM, BET, FT-IR, TG and DSC analysis techniques. Furthermore, leak-proof and phase-change properties of composite PCMs were tested in addition to investigation of thermal behavior with a thermal performance test. The highest thermal energy storage (TES) capacity among the produced n-eicosane-based h-BN-loaded MPFs was belonging to 1 mass/% h-BN-loaded composite PCM having 79 J g −1 latent heat of melting and 38.79 °C melting temperature; the composite was also comprised of the supporting matrix with highest specific surface area. Based on the results, thermally conduction enhanced n-eicosane-based composite PCMs are promising materials for thermal management applications, such as electronic package and electronics cooling, with thanks to high latent heats (range between 72.2 and 79 J g −1 ) and convenient phase transition temperature as well as anti-leakage property.