Preparation of cellulose-paraffin composite foams by an emulsion–gelation method using aqueous inorganic salt solution for thermal energy regulation

Leakage of paraffin phase-change materials during phase transitions limits their application. Cellulose is an environment-friendly material that has the potential to resolve leakage problems. In this study, large-scale, firm, and no leakage cellulose-paraffin composite foams were fabricated via an emulsion–gelation method using a cellulose/LiBr solution. Spherical paraffin particles were embedded into the three-dimensional nanofibrillar network structure of the regenerated cellulose, with no chemical interaction between the paraffin and cellulose. This cellulose-paraffin foam exhibited excellent mechanical properties, with a maximum elastic modulus value of 7.08 MPa. No leakage was observed at 80 °C even when the paraffin content was 80 %. During phase change, the maximum latent heat was 173.2 J g−1. The thermal conductivity was relatively low (46.5–77.2 mW m−1); this represented 23–38 % of the thermal conductivity of pure paraffin. Therefore, foams are promising materials for efficient and reliable thermal energy storage applications.