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Engineered porous hybrid matrix for enhanced thermal transport and leakage suppression in organic phase change materials

Mishra A, Islam A, Chitranshi P, Yadav A, Mishra YN, Pandey AK (2026)

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Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Book Volume: 78

Article Number: 104906

DOI: 10.1016/j.tsep.2026.104906

Abstract

Leakage during melting and intrinsically low thermal conductivity remain the two principal barriers limiting the practical deployment of organic phase change materials (PCMs) in thermal energy storage (TES) systems. The current research proposes to tackle both problems by developing shape-stabilized composite PCMs made from polyethylene glycol (PEG-1500) as PCM loaded into expanded graphite-expanded perlite (EG-EP) matrix in 1:1 ratio. A series of composites with 5, 10, and 15 wt% loadings were fabricated through vacuum impregnation to evaluate the influence of confinement on thermal performance. The structural design of the hybrid EG-EP matrix integrated composite material provides an efficient means of physical confinement of PEG molecules, which is confirmed through visual and gravimetric leakage tests, with PEP-15 retaining 97 % of its mass. The thermal conductivity increases from 0.22–0.89 W/m·K, showing a 304 % improvement due to the development of conductive pathways facilitated by the expanded graphite within the EG-EP hybrid matrix. However, a slight reduction of 7 % in latent heat capacity was observed, due to the presence of the EG-EP matrix limiting phase change enthalpy; while the chemical characteristics of the base PCMs remain unchanged. Microscopic studies, coupled with spectroscopic tests, reveal uniform distribution, good physical confinement, and compatibility of the material system. In addition, optical study shows that increasing EG-EP concentration enhances optical absorbance indicating its suitability in solar energy storage technology. These results establish the effectiveness of EG-EP hybrid matrix for addressing leakage and thermal conductivity with relevance to thermal energy storage applications.

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How to cite

APA:

Mishra, A., Islam, A., Chitranshi, P., Yadav, A., Mishra, Y.N., & Pandey, A.K. (2026). Engineered porous hybrid matrix for enhanced thermal transport and leakage suppression in organic phase change materials. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsep.2026.104906

MLA:

Mishra, Akshika, et al. "Engineered porous hybrid matrix for enhanced thermal transport and leakage suppression in organic phase change materials." Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 78 (2026).

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