Advances in Phase Change Materials for Enhanced Thermal Energy Storage Systems
A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 55
Special Issue Editor
Interests: decision analysis; multi-criteria decision methods; phase change material; energy storage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phase change materials (PCMs) play a crucial role in latent heat thermal energy storage (TES) systems, which are recognized as key technologies for improving energy efficiency. Despite their potential, TES systems based on PCMs still require significant research to optimize their performance. Several challenges related to PCM properties must be addressed to enable broader implementation.
While thermal properties—particularly latent heat capacity—remain the primary selection criteria for PCMs, other factors also warrant deeper investigation and enhancement. Current research is strongly focused on improving thermal conductivity and preventing leakage, either through encapsulation techniques or the development of shape-stabilized PCMs.
However, additional aspects such as thermal cycling stability, chemical stability, flammability and fire behavior, low vapor pressure, and potential health impacts have not been as extensively explored and deserve further attention.
This Special Issue seeks to compile cutting-edge research dedicated to the development, characterization, and performance enhancement of PCMs, contributing to the advancement of efficient and reliable thermal energy storage solutions.
Prof. Dr. Javier Martínez-Gómez
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. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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)
- thermal energy storage (TES)
- latent heat storage
- thermal conductivity enhancement
- encapsulation techniques
- shape-stabilized PCMs
- thermal and chemical stability
- fire safety and flammability
- health and environmental impacts
- energy efficiency
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