Projects per year
Abstract
Development of affordable thermal energy storage (TES) has been hampered by the lack of environmentally benign and scalable phase-change materials (PCM). Here we show size-controlled colloidal synthesis of fatty acid-lignin hybrid nanocapsules and demonstrate their applicability as PCM in dry and wet states. The one-pot fabrication allowed for facile preparation of hybrid capsules with a predictable concentration of tall oil fatty acid, oleic acid, or lauric acid in core-shell particles stabilized by softwood kraft lignin. Phase-change peaks of capsules containing 40 wt% of lauric acid were observed in aqueous dispersion, indicating a possibility to develop colloidal TES systems. In dry form, the hybrid capsules prevented fragmentation of the phase-change peaks during 290 heating-cooling cycles, while in wet state the capsules appeared stable for 25 cycles. The nanoscaled morphology of the capsules was characterized using thermoporometry-differential scanning calorimetry (tp-DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Extraction of lauric acid from the capsules allowed for investigation of the intraparticle space previously occupied by the fatty acid. The fatty acid-deficient nanocapsules were found to contain an internal volume that was 19 times as high as that of lignin nanoparticles. Approximately 20 nm thick lignin shells of the capsules were found to be readily accessible to water, permitting heat transfer across the capsules. The possibility to tailor the hybrid capsules by altering the chain length and saturation degree of the fatty acids opens applications that extend beyond the TES systems.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 124711 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Chemical Engineering Journal |
Volume | 393 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2020 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- Colloidal lignin particles
- Hybrid material engineering
- Lignin nanoparticles
- Nanocomposite
- Thermal energy storage
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Lignin-fatty acid hybrid nanocapsules for scalable thermal energy storage in phase-change materials'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
-
Understanding the moisture behaviour of wood in nanoscale
Penttilä, P. (Principal investigator)
01/09/2018 → 31/08/2021
Project: Academy of Finland: Other research funding
-
FinnCERES: Competence Center for the Materials Bioeconomy: A Flagship for our Sustainable Future
Mäkelä, K. (Principal investigator)
01/05/2018 → 31/12/2022
Project: Academy of Finland: Other research funding
-
Scalable manufacturing of lignin-based functional materials for industrial applications
Sipponen, M. (Principal investigator)
01/09/2016 → 31/08/2019
Project: Academy of Finland: Other research funding
Press/Media
-
Identifying new Green Materials for Thermal Energy Storage
Penttilä, P., Österberg, M. & Sipponen, M.
15/05/2020
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media appearance
-
Renewable nanocapsules to help cut carbon emissions
Penttilä, P., Österberg, M. & Sipponen, M.
11/05/2020
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media appearance