Activated carbon derived from pine cone as a framework for the preparation of n-heptadecane nanocomposite for thermal energy storage

Abstract This study deals with fabrication of activated carbon (AC) through physical and chemical activation methods using pine cone as a precursor, followed by the use of the AC as an inorganic framework for the preparation of phase change material (PCM) nanocomposite. The PCM nanocomposite, composed of n-heptadecane as the core and AC pores as a framework, was fabricated by one step impregnation method, with the mass fraction of n-heptadecane varying from 10 to 90 wt.%. The AC has a specific surface area of 905 m2/g and an average pore size of 25 A. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and SEM results clearly indicate that the n-heptadecane was encapsulated into the AC pores. DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) analysis showed that the melting and freezing temperatures of the PCM nanocomposite were 25.1 °C and 18.0 °C, respectively, and its corresponding latent heat values were 138.2 Jg−1 and 143.5 Jg−1, respectively. The performance of PCM nanocomposite as a thermal energy storage material for building applications was examined by incorporation of the nanocomposite with gypsum. The results show that the incorporation of the n-heptadecane-AC nanocomposite in gypsum board reduces the indoor temperature variation of the building, which could decrease energy consumption.