Improved latent heat storage properties through mesopore enrichment of a zeolitic shape stabilizer

Abstract Latent heat storage systems are applied to keep temperature of a local environment within a constant range. The process takes place via release/storage of latent heat during freezing/melting of a corresponding phase change material embedded in a shape stabilizer, which is the scaffold keeping the phase change material stationary in its molten form. In this work, a highly siliceous ZSM-5 and modified versions thereof were chosen as shape stabilizers for molecular and polymeric phase change materials (namely lauric acid and polyethylene glycol), to be impregnated using solvent assisted vacuum impregnation. The dominantly microporous analogues, parent ZSM-5 and its acid-treated derivative, were limited to 40% uptake for each phase change material. Contrastingly, a mesopore rich analogue (as formed under basic conditions) reached 65% impregnation for lauric acid and 70% for polyethylene glycol, without any leakage at 70 °C, resulting in latent heats of 106.9 J/g and 118.6 J/g for each composite, respectively. A simple prototypical real-world application demonstrated that the prepared lauric acid and polyethylene glycol composites of mesopore enriched ZSM-5 could maintain their temperatures up to 27% and 22% lower than the ambient environment under solar heating, as well as up to 20% and 26% higher when solar heating stops. The presented findings indicate mesopore enrichment improves phase change material uptake in these low cost, non-toxic zeolitic shape stabilizers, hence making them good candidates as isolation materials to address energy loss during heating/cooling of household environments.