Fabrication and properties analysis of paraffin@TiO2/Ag phase change microcapsules for thermal energy storage and photocatalysis

To develop a material that can be applied in the field of thermoregulation materials for residential buildings and degradation of organic pollutants. A novel microencapsulated phase change material, paraffin@TiO 2 /Ag, was prepared using interfacial condensation technology. The paraffin@TiO 2 /Ag microcapsules' melting point and latent heat were 48.00 °C and 63.56 J/g, respectively, according to the DSC study results, and their encapsulation rate was 46.11 %. In addition, the experimental results of photocatalytic degradation of MB (methylene blue) showed that the paraffin@TiO 2 /Ag microcapsules had high photocatalytic activity for organic dyes under natural light, and the degradation rate of MB reached 99 % when the light exposure time reached 4 h. By comparing the reaction rate constant of MB by paraffin@TiO 2 microcapsules (0.98969 h −1 ) with that of MB by paraffin@TiO 2 /Ag microcapsules (1.15845 h −1 ), it was learned that the introduction of Ag nanoparticles effectively improved the photocatalytic activity of the phase change microcapsules.