Preparation and Phase Change Performance of Graphene Oxide and Silica Composite Na(2)SO(4)·10H(2)O Phase Change Materials (PCMs) as Thermal Energy Storage Materials

In this study, a novel nucleating agent composed of graphene oxide (GO) and silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) (GO–SiO(2)) is developed. GO is used as a skeleton material through which SiO(2) nanomaterials are absorbed and subsequently incorporated into Na(2)SO(4)·10H(2)O phase change materials (PCMs). Furthermore, this study examines the phase change performance of the composite Na(2)SO(4)·10H(2)O materials. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed the physical combination of GO with a SiO(2) nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) results showed that the GO–SiO(2) composite exhibited a layered structure and excellent dispersibility. The GO–SiO(2) composite Na(2)SO(4)·10H(2)O PCMs displayed a low level of supercooling, i.e., about 1.2 °C with the addition of GO–SiO(2) at 2.45 wt%. This was because the synergistic relation of the GO and the high dispersion SiO(2), imparted more nucleation sites for Na(2)SO(4)·10H(2)O. Additionally, the prepared PCMs achieved high phase change latent heat and thermal conductivity, even under these conditions. The results show that the GO–SiO(2) in the Na(2)SO(4)·10H(2)O exhibited advantageous application prospects for the improvement of the thermal performance of hydrate salts.