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Polymers
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Polymers and Phase Change Materials: Past, Present and Future
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Polymers and Phase Change Materials: Past, Present and Future

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2024) | Viewed by 9013

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tiago Silva

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Guest Editor
Mechanical Engineering Department, Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: incorporation of phase change materials in building solutions; CFD analysis; energy performance; energy efficiency; numerical and dynamic simulations; applied mechanics; product development
Dr. António Figueiredo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, CERIS, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: civil engineering; biobased materials; optimization algorithms; passive house; energy efficiency; phase change materials; thermal comfort
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cláudia Amaral

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mechanical Engineering Department, Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: energy efficiency in buildings; use of phase change materials (PCMs) and carbon nanomaterials; materials development; experimental testing of PCM solutions
Dr. Nuno Gama

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CICECO—Aveiro Institute of Materials and Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: polymer recycling; chemical recycling; composites; circular economy; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer materials are widely used everywhere in daily life. At the same time, research in and use of phase change materials (PCM), which began fifty years ago, has seen the most research efforts and developments in recent years. The combination of these two materials has led to the development of new and improved solutions for many areas and applications, due to the new materials’ suitable insulating properties, workability, and easy application. These characteristics allow developing new solutions with enhanced thermal energy storage capacity and energy performance. Some examples of application areas and solutions are associated with the building sector (residential and services), industry (textile, health, transport), and other common fields.

This Special Issue aims to present scientific studies focusing on the development, use, and application of polymer materials with PCM, considering the past, present, and future of these solutions. Review contributions in this subject are also welcome. The topics of interest in this special issue may include but are not limited to the formulation and development of innovative PCM foams; laboratorial and experimental testing of polymer PCM solutions (i.e., solutions with polymer macrocapsules filled with PCM); numerical and/or dynamic simulation of polymer PCM solutions (i.e., insulation wallboards with PCM foams); numerical and/or experimental optimization of polymer PCM solutions; and review of polymer PCM applications and developments. 

Dr. Tiago Silva
Dr. António Figueiredo
Dr. Cláudia Amaral
Dr. Nuno Gama
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy efficiency
  • innovative applications and solutions
  • polymer pcm solutions
  • phase change materials
  • thermal energy storage
  • numerical analysis
  • experimental testing
  • integrated energy systems
  • energy modeling

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 6190 KiB  
Article
Thermal Performance of Multifunctional Facade Solution Containing Phase Change Materials: Experimental and Numerical Analysis
by C. Amaral, F. Gomez, M. Moreira, T. Silva and R. Vicente
Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2971; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132971 - 7 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1584
Abstract
This work focuses on the development and analysis of a new multifunctional facade panel incorporating PCM in foam layers. The thermal performance was analysed recurring to a hotbox heat flux meter method to determine the thermal transmittance (U-value) and the main findings are [...] Read more.
This work focuses on the development and analysis of a new multifunctional facade panel incorporating PCM in foam layers. The thermal performance was analysed recurring to a hotbox heat flux meter method to determine the thermal transmittance (U-value) and the main findings are presented. The experimental setup was based on the steady-state approach, using climatic chambers, assuring a stable thermal environment. Even small fractions of PCM achieved a small reduction in thermal amplitude. Numerical simulations using Ansys Fluent were developed to evaluate the performance of PCM use over a wide range of temperature boundary conditions and operating modes. These numerical models were calibrated and validated using the results of experimental tests, achieving a correlation factor of 0.9674, and, thus, accurately representing a real-world scenario. The decrement factor (f) was used to analyse the data. It was identified that the efficiency of the panel and size of the optimum region increased with the PCM fraction growth. The results showed the significant potential of the multi-layered panel, with the thermal regulator effect of the PCM incorporated, on indoor space temperature so as to reach good thermal comfort levels. The efficiency of the panel can be improved by nearly 50% depending on the input boundary conditions. The efficiency of the panel and the size of the optimum region increase with growth in the PCM fraction. The simulated behaviour was at an optimum when the input mean temperature was 20 °C for a room temperature of between 18–20 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Phase Change Materials: Past, Present and Future)
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12 pages, 4455 KiB  
Article
Effect of Different Soft Segment Contents on the Energy Storage Capacity and Photo–Thermal Performance of Polyurethane-Based/Graphene Oxide Composite Solid–Solid Phase Change Materials
by Jiawei Wang, Zihua Wu, Huaqing Xie, Tingting Wang, Yuanyuan Wang, Yueming Huang and Lan Dong
Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5161; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235161 - 27 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2084
Abstract
A series of polyurethane/graphene oxide (PU/GO) solid–solid phase change materials (SSPCMs) were synthesized by using GO as a light-absorbing filler and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a phase change matrix. The effects of PEG content on the energy storage capacity, thermal stability and photo–thermal [...] Read more.
A series of polyurethane/graphene oxide (PU/GO) solid–solid phase change materials (SSPCMs) were synthesized by using GO as a light-absorbing filler and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a phase change matrix. The effects of PEG content on the energy storage capacity, thermal stability and photo–thermal conversion performance of PU were investigated. The results show that the form-stability of PU/GO decreases while the phase change enthalpy and photo–thermal conversion efficiency of PU/GO increases with the increasing PEG content. The introduction of a very low content of GO can maintain comparable energy storage density and greatly improve light absorption by reasonably modulating the soft segment contents. The PU/GO composite with 92 wt% PEG has a phase change enthalpy of 138.12 J/g and a high photo–thermal conversion efficiency (87.6%). The composite solid–solid PCMs have great potential for effective energy storage and solar energy utilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Phase Change Materials: Past, Present and Future)
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Review

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19 pages, 3614 KiB  
Review
Bio-Based Polymers for Environmentally Friendly Phase Change Materials
by Kinga Pielichowska, Katarzyna Nowicka-Dunal and Krzysztof Pielichowski
Polymers 2024, 16(3), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030328 - 25 Jan 2024
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4382
Abstract
Phase change materials (PCMs) have received increasing attention in recent years as they enable the storage of thermal energy in the form of sensible and latent heat, and they are used in advanced technical solutions for the conservation of sustainable and waste energy. [...] Read more.
Phase change materials (PCMs) have received increasing attention in recent years as they enable the storage of thermal energy in the form of sensible and latent heat, and they are used in advanced technical solutions for the conservation of sustainable and waste energy. Importantly, most of the currently applied PCMs are produced from non-renewable sources and their carbon footprint is associated with some environmental impact. However, novel PCMs can also be designed and fabricated using green materials without or with a slight impact on the environment. In this work, the current state of knowledge on the bio-based polymers in PCM applications is described. Bio-based polymers can be applied as phase-change materials, as well as for PCMs encapsulation and shape stabilization, such as cellulose and its derivatives, chitosan, lignin, gelatin, and starch. Vast attention has been paid to evaluation of properties of the final PCMs and their application potential in various sectors. Novel strategies for improving their thermal energy storage characteristics, as well as to impart multifunctional features, have been presented. It is also discussed how bio-based polymers can extend in future the potential of new environmentally-safe PCMs in various industrial fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers and Phase Change Materials: Past, Present and Future)
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