Preparation of microencapsulated PCMs for energy-saving and thermal comfort of buildings

Energy improvement techniques for buildings are among the modern studies that concentrate on new techniques and methods of saving energy and improving the thermal performance in buildings. This research aims to prepare microencapsulated-PCMs (micro-PCMs) by using local materials and studied the influence of using micro-PCMs on thermal performance improvement and PCMs leakage problems improvement. The micro-PCMs of paraffin wax were prepared as the core PCMs materials while the melamine-formaldehyde polymer as the shell. The micro-PCMs were characterized through scanning electron-microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Analysis results showed the prepared micro-PCMs present a regular spherical shape and confirm that the formation composite of the shell effectively encapsulated the cores. Furthermore, the absence of chemical interaction between the MF and the PW components. The micro-PCM have potential for architectural applications in the building-envelope to store thermal energy, provide indoor-temperature at the comfortable range, and reduce the consumption energy in buildings.