Epoxy resin/aluminum hydroxide/expanded graphite synergistic effects on advancing flame retardancy, mechanical structure and thermal management of octadecanoic acid and octadecanol-based eutectic phase change materials

In the present research, a novel approach wherein a flame-retardant composite phase change material (PCMs) is devised by incorporating eutectic PCMs, epoxy resin (ER), aluminium hydroxide (ATH), and expanded graphite (EG). This innovative formulation capitalizes on the synergistic interaction between ER and ATH, alongside the porous structure of EG, resulting in a triple-layer encapsulation of the eutectic PCMs. The outcome of this formulation is marked by remarkable thermal stability, even under extreme conditions such as exposure to temperatures as high as 800 °C. Notably, one of the representative samples, denoted as S5, showcases impressive attributes with a thermal conductivity of 1.335 W∙m-1K−1 and a substantial phase change latent heat of 150.4 J∙g−1. It was observed an increase in latent heat up to 181.3 J∙g−1 after 100 heating–cooling cycles of composite PCMs. This indicates the good thermal reliability of the form stable composite PCMs synthesized. Moreover, the composite PCMs exhibit outstanding mechanical properties, especially S5 which showed a 14.69 % and 400.12 % increase in compression strength and compression modulus compared with pure eutectic PCM (S0), respectively. Besides, the ternary composition of ER, ATH, and EG enhances the flame retardancy of the composite PCMs, yielding a substantial reduction of 67.33 % in peak heat release rate and 50.38 % in total heat release. This collaborative effect also establishes a robust defense mechanism against the rapid propagation of flames, as exemplified by the attainment of a V-0 rating in the UL-94 test. As a result, the flame-retardant ER/ATH/EG ternary-based from stable composite PCM presents itself as a promising candidate for ensuring both safety and efficiency in thermal management applications.