Lauric-stearic acid eutectic mixture/carbonized biomass waste corn cob composite phase change materials: Preparation and thermal characterization

Highlights: • Carbonization corn cobs were a perfect carrier matrix to form shape stabilized PCMs. • Carbonization corn cobs exhibit a highly porous structure comprising rough micropores. • Latent heat, stability, and thermal properties of PCMs were excellent. • The thermal conductivity of LA-SA/CNCC was 87.5% greater than that of LA-SA. -- Abstract: In this study, novel form-stable composite phase change materials (FS-CPCMs) were prepared by the incorporation of a eutectic mixture of lauric-stearic acid (LA-SA) into carbonization corn cob (CNCC). CNCC served as a good supporting material that not only prevented the leakage of LA-SA but also enhanced its thermal conductivity. Scanning electron microscopy results demonstrated that CNCC exhibits a highly porous structure comprising rough micropores. The retention of 77.9 wt% of LA-SA in CNCC without leakage was observed. Differential scanning calorimetry results revealed that LA-SA/CNCC FS-CPCMs melt at 35.1 °C with a latent heat of 148.3 J/g and solidify at 29.7 °C with a latent heat of 144.2 J/g. The thermal conductivity of LA-SA/CNCC FS-CPCMs was approximately 87.5% greater than that of LA-SA. Thermogravimetric analysis and 200-cycle experiments indicated that the LA-SA/CNCC FS-CPCMs exhibit excellent thermal stability and form-stable performance. Therefore, the as-prepared LA-SA/CNCC FS-CPCMs demonstrate promise for building energy-efficiency applications.