The regulation mechanism and heat transfer enhancement of composite mixed paraffin and copper foam phase change materials

Phase change materials (PCMs) have remarkable energy storage capacity and promising applications in the field of thermal control of electronic products. The problem of thermal property improvement and heat transfer of PCMs in metal-foam heatsinks is an important task for thermal management of electronic components. Mixed paraffin samples were prepared by mixing appropriate proportions of paraffin (mass) at various temperatures. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that the maximum enthalpy of 206.3 J/g is obtained by mixing 20% of 17°C liquid paraffin and 80% of 29°C solid paraffin. Heating and cooling cycling tests revealed that mixed paraffin exhibits excellent thermal stability and that the regulation method marginally affects thermal stability. Moreover, composites were prepared by embedding PCM into a copper foam by melt impregnation. The thermal conductivity of the composites increased to 4.35 W/(mK), corresponding to 20 times its original value. In addition, density functional theory and experimental results were in good agreement, indicating that the regulation method is practical and effective.