Thermal properties and morphology of chitosan/gelatin composite shell microcapsule via multi-emulsion

Microencapsulated phase-change materials (MEPCMs) possess promising application in storing energy and protecting environment of biomaterials. However, the MEPCMs have the difficulty of low encapsulation efficiency and irregular shape. In this study, biodegradable chitosan/gelatin co-emulsifier as composite shell was used to encapsulate n -tetradecanol through oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) method, and then crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GTA). The results reveal that the latent heat and encapsulation efficiency of the microcapsules reach 146.88 J g −1 and 70.94%, respectively. Besides, the prepared microcapsules exhibit great thermal stability and thermal cycling reliability during the phase change process.