Investigations on the Thermal Performance of Mortar Boards Incorporated with Macroencapsulated Phase Change Materials

One of the most innovative energy technologies for increasing the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings is the potential incorporation of phase change materials (PCMs) into building materials. Incorporation of PCM in building material is established to reduce building energy consumption, shift peak energy demand, and reduce thermal swing, leading to enhanced thermal comfort inside the building. This study aims to assess the effects of variation in the water-to-cement (w/c) ratio and PCM dosage on the mechanical and thermal characteristics of macroencapsulated PCM-infused mortar boards. Mechanical properties such as compressive strength, flexural strength, and thermal properties like thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat were evaluated alongside fresh properties. Further, experimental simulations were conducted to analyze thermal performance through measurement of phase lag and temperature variations resulting from PCM integration in the designed prototype in comparison with the control mix. This study is probably one of the limited studies on performance of mortar boards incorporated with macroencapsulated PCM with respect to Indian climatic conditions. The incorporation of PCM in mortar board leads to a significant reduction in flexural strength, especially for mixes with 10% PCM, although meeting the minimum requirement of 2 MPa for nonstructural applications. Additionally, the dosage of PCM, w/c ratio, and delay time have all been shown to positively correlate. Comparative analysis of mixes with varying w/c ratios over a continuous study period revealed maximum temperature differences of 8 degrees C during heating and 4 degrees C during cooling cycles between control and PCM-incorporated boards in the prototype adopted in the present study. These observations are indicative that incorporating macroencapsulated PCM into mortar boards offers a versatile and efficient solution for enhancing energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings and can be used over a range of application from use as walling and roof insulating materials to designing server rooms as effective thermal management solutions.