Enhanced Thermal Energy Storage Performance of Polyethylene Glycol by Using Interfacial Interaction of Copper-Based Metal Oxide

Development of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) phase change material (PCM) is a popular research topic. Chemical reactions between the PEG and additive degrade the energy storage density obviously. We prepare a PEG8000/copper-based oxide composite to solve this problem. FT-IR results show that the molecular structure of the PEG8000 polymer does not change, thereby, indicating that no chemical reactions occur. Crystallization temperature of the composite is increased by 4.8 °C, corresponding to the formation of the hydrogen bond during the exothermic process. Crystallization fraction (Fc) of the composites is over 100% on the role of the interface effect. The present study represents an important step toward the development of composite PCMs with highly comprehensive performance.