Sepiolite Nanocarriers as a Matrix for Controlled Thermal Energy Storage

Xiaolei Zhu; Vladimir Vinokurov; Dmitry Kopitsyn; Dmitry G Shchukin

doi:10.1021/acsomega.1c04392

Sepiolite Nanocarriers as a Matrix for Controlled Thermal Energy Storage

ACS Omega. 2021 Sep 20;6(39):25828-25834. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04392. eCollection 2021 Oct 5.

Authors

Xiaolei Zhu¹, Vladimir Vinokurov², Dmitry Kopitsyn², Dmitry G Shchukin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, University of Liverpool, Chadwick Building, Peach Street, Liverpool L69 7ZF, United Kingdom.
² Gubkin University, 65/1 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow 119991, Russia.

Abstract

Applying the eutectic hydrated salt (EHS) mixture of Na₂HPO₄·12H₂O and Na₂SO₄·10H₂O in a 1:1 weight ratio as a phase-change material and natural sepiolite nanocarriers as a matrix, the form-stable phase-change composite EHS@sepiolite was fabricated by vacuum impregnation. Due to the high porosity of sepiolite and its nanofibrous structure with internal channels, the effective loading of the phase-change material reached as high as 88 wt %. The melting temperature of the composite was 38.1 °C and its melting enthalpy was 185 J g^-1. The crystallinity of the hydrated salt mixture was retained after loading into the sepiolite matrix. The composite demonstrated high stability over 50 heat uptake/release cycles maintaining its melting temperature and melting enthalpy the same. The combination of natural sepiolite nanocarriers and crystallohydrates is a cheap and efficient nanoscale energy storage system with high potential for practical applications and upscaling because of their natural abundance.