Preparation and Property Modification on Novel Energy Storage Material: n-Octadecane PCMs/Expanded Perlite Composite Gypsum Board

Phase change materials (PCMs) have been widely used to improve the thermal energy storage capacity of building materials. In this study, the n-octadecane (OD)/expanded perlite (EP) composite PCM, which was prepared by incorporation of liquid n-octadecane into EP using the vacuum impregnation method, was used to fabricate the gypsum board. The microscopic, thermal, and mechanical properties were studied. The SEM results showed that OD could be absorbed into the pores of EP uniformly. The FI-IR results showed that OD and EP have good chemical stability. It was found that the gypsum board has best heat transfer delay when the volume fraction of OD/EP was 20% (v/v). The mechanical property of the gypsum board with OD/EP decreased. To deal with the problem, the effect of nano-Al2O3 on the gypsum board was also studied. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the gypsum board were effectively increased when the dosage of nano-Al2O3 was 0.5 wt.%, and the gypsum board had the best thermal insulation effect when the nano-Al2O3 content was 0.3 wt.%. Considering the cost and the comprehensive property, it was suggested that the optimal addition content of nano-Al2O3 was 0.3 wt.%.