Polyethylene glycol infiltrated biomass-derived porous carbon phase change composites for efficient thermal energy storage

With the sharp increase in modern energy consumption, phase change composites with the characteristics of rapid preparation are employed for thermal energy storage to meet the challenge of energy crisis. In this study, a NaCl-assisted carbonization process was used to construct porous Pleurotus eryngii carbon with ultra-low volume shrinkage rate of 2%, which provides enormous space for encapsulation of PEG-4000. Such composite possesses exceptional thermal stability, with an absorption rate of 88.24%, a melting enthalpy of 174.87 J/g, and a relative enthalpy efficiency of 97.78%. Consequently, the resultant composites exhibit outstanding performances in storing and releasing thermal energy for photo-thermal, electric-thermal, and magnetic-thermal conversion. This study presents a highly valuable strategy into the quick fabrication of phase change composites, facilitating their practical applications in thermal energy storage. Graphical Abstract