Multifunctional Phase Change Materials

In the sustainable and energy-saving economy, application of multifunctional phase change materials {PCMs) in various sectors plays an important and still growing role. New developments in phase change materials has led to their new features and functionalities that open-up opportunities for new application perspectives in e.g. medicine and solar cell technologies. Multifunctional Phase Change Materials: Fundamentals, Properties and Applications presents recent developments on phase change materials (PCMs) that are used for the storage of thermal energy as sensible and latent heat. This class of materials that are the subject of intensive research, both fundamental and applied, has gained tremendous interest as they substantially contribute to the efficient use and conservation of waste heat and solar energy. Different groups of materials have been investigated as PCMs, including inorganic systems (salt and salt hydrates), organic, e.g. paraffins or fatty acids, polymers, and, finally, hybrid materials. Recent developments are focused on multifunctional PCMs that provide simultaneously useful functional features apart from the energy storage, such as desired optical or antibacterial properties. In Multifunctional Phase Change Materials: Fundamentals, Properties and Applications various synthesis approaches for functionalized materials, as well as specific interactions and self-organization effects in polymer/functionalized (nano)particle systems are presented in detail. The book reviews the current state of the art in multifunctional phase change materials for thermal energy storage applications by describing fundamentals of energy storage, main classes of PCMs, functionalization protocols, encapsulation methods and shape stabilization procedures. Flame retarding properties and stability of multifunctional phase change composite materials are also discussed as they are of crucial importance for practical applications in construction, textile and automotive sectors too. Future research trends are also outlined, in detail. The book’s concept is original and collects dispersed results enabling scientists working in the area of energy storage to understand better how multifunctional phase change materials’ structure and composition can influence and control the ultimate properties of these materials. The book will be a valuable reference resource for academic and industrial researchers, materials scientists and engineers working on the development of multi-temperature systems for heat storage in the building, energy, textile, biomedical and electronic sectors. Covers the most important developments in PCMs that have expanded rapidly over the last few years, including thermochromic and thermoelectric PCMs, as well as fluorescence-functionalized phase change materials The newest solutions in PCMs related to functionalization and shape stabilization e.g. nano-encapsulation and electrospun ultrafine phase change fibers, are critically reviewed A multidisciplinary comprehensive work that will be of interest for a wide readership active in various disciplines, from materials science to environmental engineering, covering design of photovoltaic installations, as well as progress in PCMs for textile and building sectors Provides a careful balance between fundamental issues and practical solutions that could be applied in engineering practice