Preparation and characteristics of n-nonadecane/cement composites as thermal energy storage materials in buildings

n-Nonadecane/cement composites as thermal energy storage materials (TESM) were prepared by absorbing n-nonadecane in porous network of cement. In composite materials, n-nonadecane was used as the phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage, and cement acted as the supporting material. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscope (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electronic microscope (SEM) were used to determine the FT-IR spectra, the crystalloid phase and microstructure of n-nonadecane/cement composites, respectively. The thermal properties and thermal stability were investigated by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and a thermogravimetric analysis apparatus (TGA), respectively. The SEM results showed that n-nonadecane was well dispersed in the porous network of cement. The DSC results indicated that the n-nonadecane/cement composite material has the melting latent heat of 69.12 kJ/kg with melting temperature of 31.86 degrees C, and solidifying latent heat of 64.07 kJ/kg with solidifying temperature of 31.82 degrees C. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.