Thermal Energy Storage Capability of Polyurethane Foams Incorporated with Microencapsulated Phase Change Material

Polyurethane (PU) foam composites with improved thermal energy storage capability were fabricated. Composites were designed based on PU and microencapsulated phase change materials (microPCMs) with poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) shell and n ‐octadecane core. MicroPCMs prepared with three kinds of emulsifiers were investigated and compared. Styrene and maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymers were the most efficient emulsifiers, because they resulted in the formation of distinct spherical morphologies and high encapsulation rate (48.92%) of microPCM(SMA). The thermal energy storage property of the microPCM(SMA)/PU foam composites with added microPCM(SMA) was determined and improved, with melting and crystalline enthalpy increased to 8.6 J g −1 . Thermogravimetry analysis showed the thermal stability of the materials, and the residue left was promoted to 17.8 wt.%. Therefore, PU foam composites with microPCMs have excellent potential for thermal energy storage applications.