Preparation and properties of polyurethane rigid foam materials modified by microencapsulated phase change materials

Polyurethane rigid foam composites are prepared via in situ foaming the polyurethane prepolymer blended with microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) in the work. The MEPCM is composed of n‐octadecane as core material and silicon dioxide as shell material synthesized by chemical precipitation method. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) indicate that there are no chemical reactions between core and shell of the MEPCMs, and whose average diameter is ca. 0.69 μm investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The encapsulation rate of the MEPCM is up to 47.5% calculated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) parameters, and the decomposition temperature of the encapsulated octadecane increased by about 20°C according to the thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) analysis. The thermal controlling ability of polyurethane rigid foam with the MEPCMs is tested by a self‐made heating and/or cooling device, and the results showed that the foamed composites presented greater than 50 J/g for the latent heat enthalpy value and a relatively constant temperature ranged from 26°C to 28°C when the MEPCMs is 50 wt%.