Thermal property optimization and shape stabilization of sugar alcohols phase change thermal energy storage materials reinforced by sintering synthesized alumina porous ceramics

Sugar alcohols phase change thermal energy storage materials have many advantages such as high latent heat, non-toxicity and abundance, which are extremely potential in the field of thermal energy storage. However, the application of sugar alcohols in thermal energy storage is greatly restricted by high supercooling. In this work, alumina porous ceramics (APC) were successfully prepared by replication template method, and then the prepared APC were modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane to obtain APC-SiX. The APC and APC-SiX were used to improve the thermal properties of erythritol (ET), d-mannitol (DMT) and d-dulcitol (DDT), respectively. Based on the results, the supercooling degree and solidification stability degree of sugar alcohols were suppressed observably, among which, the supercooling suppression for ET was the most significant. The supercooling degree and solidification stability degree of ET were suppressed to 3.3 ± 0.1 °C and 0.7 ± 0.2 °C, respectively. Besides, the thermal conductivity of the sugar alcohols was also obviously enhanced. Furthermore, the high latent heat, excellent cycling thermal stability and anti-leakage of sugar alcohols composite phase change materials (PCM) are also available. This conclusion is important for supercooling regulation and thermal property optimization of sugar alcohols, and indeed, can promote the utilization of sugar alcohols in thermal energy storage. •A novel method committing to regulate supercooling and optimize thermal property of sugar alcohols as PCM was proposed.•The thermal conductivity of sugar alcohols was obviously enhanced.•The supercooling degree and solidification stability degree of sugar alcohols were suppressed observably.•The sugar alcohols composite materials with excellent thermal stability and anti-leakage were obtained.