Phase change materials in the ternary system NH4Cl+CaCl2+H2O

Abstract Solubility isotherms of the ternary system (NH4Cl+CaCl2+H2O) were elaborately determined at T = (273.15 and 298.15) K by using the isothermal method. In the equilibrium phase diagram, there are two solubility branches corresponding to the solid phases CaCl2⋅6H2O and NH4Cl. Invariant point compositions are 36.32 wt% CaCl2 and 3.4 wt% NH4Cl at 273.15 K, and 45.86 wt% CaCl2 and 5.22 wt% NH4Cl at 298.15 K. A Pitzer–Simonson–Clegg thermodynamic model was applied to represent the thermodynamic properties of this ternary system and to construct a partial phase diagram of the ternary system at temperatures between (273.15 and 323.15) K. It was found in the predicted solubility phase diagram that the double salt 2NH4Cl⋅CaCl2⋅3H2O, found by other authors at (323.1 and 348.1) K, will disappear at temperatures below 298.15 K. Besides, it was found that there are two peritectic points in the ternary system with peritectic temperatures at 299.65 K and 298.15 K, and the former peritectic point falls just on the line between the composition points of NH4Cl and CaCl2⋅6H2O. According to phase rule, a solution made of this point will begin to crystallize at 299.65 K and end at 298 K and therefore can be acted as a “pseudo eutectic” phase change material (PCM). A heat storing and releasing experiment of 50 grams of the PCM was carried out, obtaining a satisfying result.