Graphene aerogel stabilized phase change material for thermal energy storage

Phase change material (PCM) with thermal energy storage capacity has been a hot topic due to the advantages of satisfying the demand for energy storage, saving and conversion. In this work, graphene oxide (GO) was introduced to prepare a three-dimensional (3D) continuous network of graphene aerogel (GA) via a simple hydrothermal process, and the GA was further employed to pack polyethylene glycols (PEG). Benefited from the abundant porous structure and high specific surface area, the mass fraction of PEG in the composite PCM was up to 96.0 wt%. Besides, the heat latent of the composite was 223.2 J/g, illustrating a high energy storage density. Moreover, due to the crosslinking graphene skeleton and its inherent high thermal conductivity, the heat transfer rate was enhanced to 116% of the pure PEG. This work could simultaneously solve the drawbacks of leakage and low thermal conductivity of PCM. And the composite PCM could be considered as a clean, energy-saving and recycled material in the application of building heat preservation.