Preparation and characterization of the shape-stabilized phase change material based on sebacic acid and mesoporous MCM-41

Shape-stabilized composite phase change materials composed of sebacic acid (SA) and MCM-41 were prepared by a facile blending and impregnating method. Various characterization techniques were carried out to characterize their structural and thermal properties, including thermogravimetry (TG) analyses and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy. The XRD and FT-IR results indicated the interactions between SA and MCM-41, such as the capillary force and the hydrogen bonding, resulting in the confined crystallization process. As a result, the SA that was confined was amorphous. The TG analysis results showed that the presence of MCM-41 practically resulted in an overlapping of the two decomposition stages. The DSC analysis demonstrated that a decrease in the SA content was accompanied by a continuous decrease in the melting point and phase change enthalpy of the composites.