Characterization and thermophysical property enhancement of paraffin wax PCM using single and hybrid nanoparticles

Abstract

Organic phase change materials (PCMs) are extensively used across various applications but are limited by their low thermal conductivity. Enhancing PCMs with thermally conductive nanoparticles presents a promising approach to improve their thermal properties. This study explores the thermophysical characteristics of innovative nanocomposite PCMs incorporating boron nitride (BN) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, the composites are synthesized with a constant nanoparticle concentration of 1.0 wt%. Detailed analyses reveal that BN and ZnO nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed without altering paraffin’s chemical structure. The hybrid nanocomposite HnCPCM 3, containing 0.5% ZnO and 0.5% BN, achieves an optimal latent heat of fusion of 204.24 kJ/kg and the highest thermal conductivity of 0.437 W/m K compared to pure paraffin. Additionally, the HnCPCMs show no phase separation, and improved thermal stability. These findings highlight the significant potential of BN and ZnO hybrid nanocomposites for advancing thermal energy storage and management systems.