Bio-Based Thermal Storage Polymeric Materials for Energy-Efficient Applications
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 58
Special Issue Editor
Interests: wood; bamboo; lignocellulosic materials; natural fiber-reinforced composites; thermal modification; structural design; fused deposition modeling (FDM)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The urgent need for carbon reduction, sustainable resource utilization, and energy-efficient solutions has driven growing interest in phase change materials (PCMs) as thermal energy storage media. PCMs could absorb, store, and release significant amounts of latent heat during phase transitions, making them highly effective for temperature regulation and passive thermal management applications. While conventional PCMs such as paraffin and salt hydrates are widely studied, concerns remain regarding their petroleum-derived origins, cost, environmental impact, and long-term stability. In this context, natural supporting materials such as wood, bamboo, cellulose, and other lignocellulosic resources offer a promising sustainable alternative. Their porous structures, renewability, biodegradability, and abundance provide unique pathways for integrating PCMs into eco-friendly, high-performance composites. Such bio-based PCM systems have potential uses across diverse applications, from energy-saving building materials and temperature-stable packaging to adaptive textiles and thermal management devices. This Special Issue aims to advance fundamental and applied knowledge in bio-based PCM composites, particularly focusing on the following topics:
- Innovative techniques for impregnation, encapsulation, and stabilization of PCMs within natural matrices.
- Characterization of thermal regulation behaviors, phase transition performance, and durability.
- Application-oriented studies demonstrating energy conservation benefits in buildings, packaging, and wearables.
- Lifecycle assessment (LCA) and sustainability evaluations of bio-based PCM technologies.
By bridging materials science, thermal engineering, and green innovation, this Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge strategies for turning renewable natural resources into next-generation energy management solutions. All authors are invited to contribute their original research articles, reviews, and case studies that highlight the design, performance, and sustainability impacts of bio-based PCMs.
Prof. Dr. Teng-Chun Yang
Guest Editor
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
- phase change materials (PCMs)
- bio-based composites
- natural supporting material
- thermal energy storage
- temperature regulation
- energy conservation
- sustainable materials
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