Work

Advances in the Stabilization of Eutectic Salts as Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for Enhanced Thermal Performance: A Critical Review

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Inorganic phase change materials (PCMs) can be employed in passive thermal regulation systems as building envelopes to decrease energy consumption. Nonetheless, they present a manifold of issues, such as leakage, incongruent melting, crystallization, and supercooling, which limit their performance and durability. A widely explored approach to address these shortcomings is the development of eutectic salts and their stabilization through techniques such as the use of porous substrates and encapsulation, in addition to combining them with the incorporation of carbon derivatives as fillers and nucleating agents to enhance thermal performance and durability during charge and discharge cycles. In this study, a critical review is developed via analysis and discussions of different methods for incorporating inorganic PCMs. The focus is mainly on eutectic salts and the challenges associated with their application, the generation of new eutectic salts, stabilization methods, and use cases where the incorporation of fillers, the use of porous substrates, and the implementation of nucleating agents have contributed to improving thermal performance, reducing the degree of supercooling, and minimizing PCM leakage during phase transitions.

Source: Journal of Composites Science

DOI: 10.3390/jcs9120667

Authors: Elmer Marcial Cervantes Ramírez, Danna Trejo Arroyo, Julio César Cruz Argüello, Blandy Berenice Pamplona Solís, Javier Rodrigo Nahuat Sansores

Institutions: Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Chetumal

Language: English

Topic: Phase Change Materials Research

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172