Recent progress in diatomite based composite phase change materials for thermal energy storage

The earth is rich in diatomite resources. Such type of materials has a high porosity and favorable structural and thermophysical properties, and can therefore serve as the structural material for composite phase change materials. In this article, we first briefly introduces the structure and properties of diatomite, we then provide a state-of-the-art review on the use of the diatomite as the structural material for encapsulating phase change materials for thermal energy storage applications. Finally, further development in the area is discussed.