Effect of Nanomaterial Inclusion in Phase Change Materials for Improving the Thermal Performance of Heat Storage: A Review

Dispersion of nanoparticles is one of the potential solutions to improve the thermophysical properties of phase change (or transition) materials (PCMs) and enhance the performance of latent thermal energy storage (LTES) systems. The PCM ought to have a high latent heat of fusion, and zero or negligible coefficient of thermal expansion. A good PCM should have melting and solidification compatibility with negligible or zero subcooling, and it should not react with the common chemical reagents. The present known PCMs possess low thermal conductivity that results into a longer solidification and melting time of PCMs. In the past two decades, researchers have reported improved thermal conductivity and heat-storing capacity of PCMs employing graphite nanoparticles/fibers, carbon nanotubes/fibers, metal, and metal oxide nanoparticles. This work reviews the reported experimental and numerical studies describing the consequences of nanoparticle inclusions of various shapes and sizes on the thermal properties of the PCMs. This review attempts to make a consolidated database of the studies related to nanoadditive inclusion into PCMs for various applications. Graphene dispersed into PCM has resulted into 14 times thermal conductivity enhancement. As far as metal oxide nanoparticles are concerned, TiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles outperformed others. The compatibility between the nanoadditive and PCM is necessary to tailor favorable thermal properties. This work reviews numerous studies of different nanoparticle–PCM duos.