Graphene oxide stabilized polyethylene glycol for heat storage

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) sheets were introduced to stabilize the melted polyethylene glycol (PEG) during the solid–liquid phase change process, which can be used as a smart heat storage system. The structural properties and phase change behaviors of the PEG–GO composites were comprehensively investigated as a function of the PEG content by means of various characterization techniques. The highest stabilized PEG content is 90 wt% in the composites, resulting in a heat storage capacity of 156.9 J g⁻¹, 93.9% of the phase change enthalpy of pure PEG. Notably, GO has much stronger impact on lowering of the phase change temperature of PEG compared with some other porous carbon materials (activated carbon and ordered mesoporous carbon) due to the unique thin layer structure of GO. Because of the high heat storage capacity and the moderate phase change temperature, the PEG–GO composite is a promising heat energy storage candidate at mild temperature.