Materials for Phase Change Material at High Temperature

Abstract To develop a cost effective and efficient latent thermal energy storage system using phase change material (PCM), selecting a suitable material is very critical. It has to satisfy certain criteria in order to fulfill the requirement of repeated heating and cooling cycles. This chapter describes the basic requirements on a material to be considered as a high-temperature PCM. It reviews the available high-temperature inorganic salt PCMs and as a result a database containing the melting point, latent heat of fusion and cost of pure inorganic salts is presented. The PCM composites are also discussed taking into account their preparation methods, effect, mechanism, advantages, and disadvantages. The composite materials include graphite, metal foams, porous metal oxides, and nanomaterials.