Energy storage and key derives of octadecane thermal stability during phase change assembly with animal manure-derived biochar

Abstract

The design of eco-friendly and renewable energy infrastructure is highly desirable to advance the global energy landscape. Phase-change materials (PCMs) are used to mitigate intermittency issues and reversibly store high densities of thermal energy in the form of heat during the phase transition process and provide ample potential for the advancement of renewable energy infrastructure. However, the leakage and low thermal stability of pristine PCMs along with the complicated synthesis strategies and environmental issues of the supporting materials cause significant drawbacks, thereby requiring a sustainable confining agent. In this study, a green phase change composite was developed using biowaste-derived biochar and octadecane via a vacuum impregnation strategy. The structural, morphological, thermal, and shape stabilities, as well as the chemical compatibilities of both the composite components and the octadecane-biochar composite, were investigated. The supporting biochar provides sufficient physical and thermal support besides high encapsulating capacity due to high specific surface area (135.2 m² g^-1) and predominant mesoporous proportion (86%). The results displayed that the composite material revealed a high leakage-proof capability (above the melting point of pure octadecane) with a low leakage rate (<12.5%) for a long heating time, excellent thermal stability, and high latent heat retention (89.5%) after 1000 heating-cooling cycles. The fabricated composite attained satisfactory phase change enthalpy storage, which was 130% and 168.9% higher than that of rice-husk-paraffin and garlic peel-derived carbon-paraffin, respectively, indicating promising thermal management performance. This study opens avenues for the development of green composite materials and renewable energy storage and conversion, which will play a significant role in various sectors such as building energy-saving and heat recovery systems.

Keywords: Biochar; Biowaste upcycling; Leakage-proof; Thermal energy storage.