Thermo-Physical Enhancement of Paraffin Based Phase Change Materials with Iron Sand (Fe3O4) for Application in Building Thermal Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2025.11044Keywords:
Phase change materials, Paraffin, Macro-encapsulation, Magnetite particles, Management thermal, Thermal storageAbstract
This study investigates the encapsulation and thermal performance of paraffin-based phase change materials (PCM) enhanced with magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles for building energy storage applications. The PCM composite was encapsulated within 4 copper tubes (1.27 cm in diameter and 5 cm in length), which were embedded into concrete specimens measuring 5×5×5 cm3. The concrete samples were cured at room temperature for 28 days. The paraffin-magnetite mixture was homogenized via ultrasonic sonication at 80 °C for 15 min at 37 kHz to ensure uniform nanoparticle dispersion and minimize agglomeration. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of magnetite and the semi-crystalline monoclinic structure of paraffin. The addition of magnetite enhanced the magnetic properties of the composite, with saturation magnetization reaching 30 emu/g at 50 %vol Fe3O4. Differential Scanning Calorimetry revealed a reduction in latent heat to 17.13 J/g due to the incorporation of magnetite, while the thermal conductivity increased significantly to 0.54 W/m·K. These results indicate that although latent heat decreases, the improved thermal conductivity contributes to enhanced heat transfer during the phase transition. Overall, the integration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles into paraffin-based PCM demonstrates promising potential for improving the thermal energy storage performance in building applications.
HIGHLIGHTS
- This study focused on the use of paraffin as a phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage applications.
- Natural magnetite (Fe₃O₄) particles from West Java were incorporated to enhance the thermo-physical properties of paraffin.
- The composite PCM was encapsulated in copper tubes embedded in concrete modules for building thermal management.
- Thermal analyses confirmed that the addition of Fe₃O₄ improved heat storage and release performance compared with pure paraffin.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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