TY  - Journal Article
AU  - Bayon, Rocio
AU  - Coco, Silverio
AU  - Barcenilla, Maria
AU  - Espinet, Pablo
AU  - Imbuluzqueta, Gorka
AU  - Hidalgo, Jokin
AU  - Rojas, Esther
TI  - Feasibility of Storing Latent Heat with Liquid Crystals. Proof of Concept at Lab Scale
PY  - 2016
PB  - MDPI AG, POSTFACH, CH-4005 BASEL, SWITZERLAND
AB  - In this work, the first experimental results of thermotropic liquid crystals used as phase change materials for thermal storage are presented. For that purpose, the n = 10 derivative from the family of 4-n-alkoxybiphenyl-4-carboxylic acids has been prepared. Different techniques like polarized-light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and rheological measurements have been applied for its characterization. Having a mesophase/isotropic transition temperature around 251 degrees C, a clearing enthalpy of 55 kJ/kg, a thermal heat capacity of around 2.4 kJ/kg and a dynamic viscosity lower than 0.6 Pas, this compound fulfills the main requirements for being considered as latent heat storage material. Although further studies on thermal stability are necessary, the results already obtained are both promising and encouraging since they demonstrate de viability of this new application of liquid crystals as thermal storage media.
SN  - 2076-3417
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/11556/279
DX  - 10.3390/app6050121
ER  -