The new material / Foto: Uni Halle / Marian Sorge
A new heat storage material could help to significantly improve the energy efficiency of buildings.
Developed by researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Leipzig, it can be used to store surplus heat and release it back into the environment when needed. Unlike existing materials, the new one can absorb significantly more heat, is more stable, and is made of harmless substances. In the “Journal of Energy Storage” the team describes the formation mechanism of the material.
The invention is a so-called shape-stabilized phase change material. It can absorb large amounts of heat by changing its physical state from solid to liquid. The stored heat is then re-released when the material hardens. “Many people are familiar with this principle from hand warmers,” explains Professor Thomas Hahn from the Institute of Chemistry at MLU. However, the invention from Halle won’t be used in coat pockets. Instead, it could be used by the construction industry as large panels that could be integrated into walls. These would then absorb heat during the sunny hours of the day and release it again later when the temperature goes down. This could save a lot of energy: The researchers have calculated that when the new material heats up, it can store – under the right conditions – up to 24 times per 10 degrees Celsius more heat than conventional concrete or wallboard.
Unlike hand warmers, the panels made of this material mixture do not melt when they absorb heat. “In our invention, the heat storage material is enclosed in a framework of solid silicate and cannot escape due to high capillary forces,” explains Hahn. Most importantly, the substances used in its production are environmentally friendly: harmless fatty acids like those found in soaps and creams. Even the additives that lend the material its strength and increased thermal conductivity can be obtained from rice husks.
In the current study, the team describes the steps involved in creating the structure of the material and how the different chemicals influence each other. For this, the team received support from a group of researchers led by Professor Kirsten Bacia from MLU, who used fluorescence microscopy to visualise the mechanism. “The knowledge we are gaining can be used to further optimise the material and to potentially produce it on an industrial scale,” says Felix Marske, who drove the development forward as part of his doctorate with Thomas Hahn. Until now the material is still only being produced in small quantities in the laboratory. In the future, it can be combined with other steps to help to make buildings significantly more energy efficient or to passively cool photovoltaic systems and batteries, thereby increasing their efficiency.
Original Article: Heat storage: Scientists develop material that is stable, efficient and eco-friendly
More from: Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg | Leipzig University
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Heat storage material
- Kazakhstan discloses plans to repair heat supply networks in 2024
Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card.
- Transforming common soft magnets into next-generation thermoelectric conversion materials with 3-minute heat treatment
A research team from NIMS and Nagoya University has demonstrated that an iron-based amorphous alloy, widely used as a soft magnetic material in transformers and motors, can be transformed into a ...
- Transforming common soft magnets into a next-generation thermoelectric conversion materials by 3 minutes heat treatment
A research team has demonstrated that an iron-based amorphous alloy, widely used as a soft magnetic material in transformers and motors, can be transformed into a 'transverse' thermoelectric ...
- EPA Releases Updated Interim Guidance on Destroying and Disposing of Certain PFAS and PFAS-Containing Materials, Will Hold 180-Day Comment Period
and thermal treatment: Interim storage with controls: Storage is not a D&D technology but may be a short-term option. The fact sheet notes that storage may be more fitting for some PFAS materials than ...
- Barn fire destroys Centre Hall mayor’s Grange Fair materials, leads to power outages
Nearly 1,000 customers are without power in Centre Hall as the fire department battles a local blaze with a reported power line against a building. According to public emergency information, crews ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Heat storage material
[google_news title=”” keyword=”heat storage material” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Shape-stabilized phase change material
- A better way to control shape-shifting soft robots
A new machine-learning technique can train and control a reconfigurable soft robot that can dynamically change its shape to complete a task. The researchers also built a simulator that can evaluate ...
- Enhancing Electronics with Advanced Composite Phase Change Materials
Composite PCMs enhance thermal management in electronics, offering improved heat dissipation and device longevity.
- Unlocking the Potential of Shape-Shifting Materials
Image Credit: David Doan & John Kulikowski When it comes to nanomaterials, shape is essentially ... The shapeshifting quality, or “phase change,” as materials experts call it, is comparable ...
- phase change
This concrete, on the other hand, contains a low-temperature liquid paraffin which releases heat when it has a phase change, from a liquid to a solid. By incorporating the material into the ...
- Harnessing Phase-Change Materials in Nanotechnology and Beyond
Materials Today: Proceedings, A review on phase change materials for different applications Journal of Physics: Conference Series, A review on phase change materials: Development, Types, and ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Shape-stabilized phase change material
[google_news title=”” keyword=”shape-stabilized phase change material” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]