Preparation and performance study of paraffin composite phase change thermal storage material

Due to the instability and intermittency of solar energy, researchers have opted to employ phase change materials for thermal storage to enhance solar thermal efficiency, with paraffin wax garnering significant interest as a very promising phase change material. The article seeks to enhance the thermal characteristics of paraffin wax by including metal oxides. The paraffin wax is heated until fully melted, after which silica and copper oxide particles are sequentially introduced into the molten paraffin wax. Composite phase change materials were synthesized by including various types and grades of metal oxides, and the thermal storage and exothermic properties of these materials were experimentally investigated and assessed. The findings indicate that the thermal storage and exothermic capacity of the composite phase change material, enhanced with metal oxide particles, is significantly improved, with the heat storage and exothermic capacity of added copper oxide surpassing that of added silicon dioxide. The thermal storage and exothermic capability of the composite phase change material is contingent upon the quality of the included metal oxides.