Chitosan incorporation for improving the dimensional stability of PLA aerogel encapsulated phase change materials

•PLA aerogel encapsulated Paraffin PCM was fabricated.•Chitosan was incorporated as a sustainable strategy to enhance the dimensional stability of the PCM at melt state.•The PCM performed excellent shape retention after load and heat treatment. Chitosan (CH) was utilized to improve the shape stability and load resistance of Polylactic acid (PLA) aerogel encapsulated PCM during phase change. Specifically, PLA aerogel with high porosity (>90 %) was prepared first, and then soaked in ethanol and subsequently CH solution, to functionalize PLA aerogel. The aerogel is used to encapsulate paraffin to obtain a shape-stable bio-based PCM. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of its anti-leakage, shape stability, and phase transition properties. The results showed that the CH-modified PCM kept a high latent heat (169.5 J/g), maintained excellent anti-leakage performance, had stronger resistance to deformation in molten state, and improved anti-leakage performance under load. Combining the convenience and environmental protection of material preparation and modification, and the excellent performance of final PCM, this material is expected to be practically applied in building temperature regulation and solar energy capture.