Polyethylene glycol with dual three-dimensional porous carbon nanotube/diamond: a high thermal conductivity of composite PCM

Xurui Feng; Yuanying Zhang; Zhiliang Yang; Zihao Zhao; Fen Zhu; Xinyi Wei; Liangxian Chen; Jinlong Liu; Yanhui Feng; Chengming Li; Daili Feng; Junjun Wei

doi:10.1088/1361-6528/ad0f55

Polyethylene glycol with dual three-dimensional porous carbon nanotube/diamond: a high thermal conductivity of composite PCM

Nanotechnology. 2023 Dec 12;35(9). doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad0f55.

Authors

Xurui Feng¹, Yuanying Zhang², Zhiliang Yang¹, Zihao Zhao², Fen Zhu¹, Xinyi Wei¹, Liangxian Chen¹, Jinlong Liu¹, Yanhui Feng^{2

3}, Chengming Li^{1

3}, Daili Feng^{2

3}, Junjun Wei^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China.
² School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China.
³ Shunde Graduate School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Foshan 528399, People's Republic of China.

PMID: 37995375
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad0f55

Abstract

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used as a phase change material (PCM) in thermal energy storage systems due to its high latent heat and chemical stability. However, practical application has been hindered by its low thermal conductivity and leakage issues. Therefore, developing shape-stable high thermal conductivity PCM is of great importance. In this study, new shape-stable composite PCM with high thermal conductivity and leak-prevention capabilities were designed. The porous carbon skeleton of diamond foam (DF) and dual-3D carbon nanotube-diamond foam (CDF) were prepared using the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition method. The composite materials (DF/PEG and CDF/PEG) were produced by vacuum impregnation with PEG and skeletons. The results showed that CDF/PEG had the highest thermal conductivity, measuring 2.30 W·m^-1·K^-1, which is 707% higher than that of pure PEG. The employing of 3D networks of CNTs, which can improve the phonon mean free path in DF/PEG (1.79 W·m^-1·K^-1) while reducing phonon dispersion.The phonon vibration of dual-3D CDF plays an important role in heat transfer. PEG was physically absorbed and well-distributed in CDF, alleviating leakage of liquid PEG. The weight loss of CDF/PEG was only 25% at 70 °C for 120 s. Using CDF is an attractive and efficient strategy to increase the heat transfer of PEG and improve heat storage efficiency, alleviate the problem of poor shape-stability.

Keywords: dual-3D CDF skeleton; high thermal conductivity; phase change material; polyethylene glycol.