Materials Chemistry and Physics, Vol.223, 723-726, 2019
A simple route to PVC encapsulated Na2SO4 center dot 10H(2)O nano/micro-composite with excellent energy storage performance
A novel Na2SO4 center dot 10H(2)O micro/nanostructure (encap-Na2SO4 center dot 10H(2)O/PVC) encapsulated in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is fabricated via mixing water-dispersible Na2SO4 center dot 10H(2)O micro/nanocrystals with a PVC solution at low temperature. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirm the encapsulation of the Na2SO4 center dot 10H(2)O in the PVC matrix. Thermal analysis showed encap-Na2SO4 center dot 10H(2)O/PVC core-shell structures possess a high latent heat (194.6 J/g) and high stability, and the larger Na2SO4 center dot 10H(2)O cores with thicker PVC shells should improve the heat storage stability of the material. More importantly, the simple, low temperature, and environmentally conscious way for preparing encap-Na2SO4 center dot 10H(2)O/PVC composites may be extended to other promising phase change materials (PCMs).