Investigation of thermal properties of Al-Cu eutectic alloy for phase change energy storage applications

The knowledge of thermal properties such as thermal conductivity, specific heat, and latent heat of melting is essential for the development of phase change materials (PCMs) for latent heat energy storage applications. Due to their good properties, aluminum-based eutectic alloys have become the most widely studied metal-based PCMs. In the present study, microstructure, thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and latent heat of melting of the Al-33.6 mass% Cu eutectic alloy were examined using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and light flash method. The results show that the microstructure of the investigated alloy consists of fine and coarse (Al) + Al2Cu eutectic regions. Specific heat, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity increase with increasing temperature in the temperature range 25-400 degrees C. The thermal conductivity of the studied alloy at room temperature is 134.3 Wm-1 K-1. The measured latent heat is 319.5 Jg-1. The obtained results indicate that the Al-Cu eutectic alloy has considerable potential for application in the field of phase change energy storage materials.