Preparation and properties of a form-stable phase-change hydrogel for thermal energy storage

In this study, we aimed to fabricate a form-stable phase-change hydrogel (PCH) with excellent mechanical properties and heat-storage properties. Sodium alginate (SA) and polyacrylamide (PAAm) composite hydrogels were prepared with ionically crosslinked SA in a PAAm hydrogel network. Glauber's salt [i.e., sodium sulfate decahydrate (Na(2)SO(4)10H(2)O)] was incorporated within the hydrogel network as a phase-change material. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs revealed that Na(2)SO(4)10H(2)O was confined in the micropores of the hydrogel inner spaces, and differential scanning calorimetry curves showed that the composite hydrogel possessed a considerable storage potential. Mechanical properties tests, such as tensile and compressive measurements, presented a decreasing trend with increasing Na(2)SO(4)10H(2)O dosage. We concluded that the prepared composite PCH could be used to design hydrogel materials with thermal-energy-storage applications. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43836.