Salt hydrate-based phase change thermal energy storage and encapsulation thereof

1. A composition comprising:

a graphite matrix comprising an expanded graphite having a plurality of pores defining a pore volume;

a surfactant having a first end and a second end;

a mixture comprising a phase change material of at least one of calcium chloride hexahydrate (CaCl 2 ).6H 2 O), calcium bromide hexahydrate (CaBr 2 .6H 2 O), disodium sulfate decahydrate (Na 2 SO 4 .10H 2 O), disodium phosphate dodecahydrate (Na 2 HPO 4 .12H 2 O), zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O), magnesium chloride hexahydrate (MgCl 2 .6H 2 O), magnesium nitrate hexahydrate (Mg(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O), or lithium nitrate trihydrate (LiNO 3 .3H 2 O), and a nucleating agent positioned within between about 40% and about 95% of the pore volume; wherein:

the first end of the surfactant is bonded to the expanded graphite,

the second end of the surfactant is bonded to the phase change material,

the surfactant is present in a mass ratio of the surfactant to the expanded graphite between about 1:100 and about 5:100, and

the nucleating agent is present in the mixture at a concentration between greater than zero weight percent (wt %) and less than about 6.0 wt %.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the pore volume is between about 60% and about 95% of a total volume of the graphite matrix as defined by the pore volume plus a volume of the expanded graphite present in the graphite matrix.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises at least one of octyl phenol ethoxylate (C 14 H 22 O(C 2 H 4 O) n where n=9-10) (TX-100) or polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether (C 14 H 22 O(C 2 H 4 O) n where n=7-8) (TX-105).

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the mixture further comprises a hydrogel comprising at least one of poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PAAAM), poly(acrylamide-co-sodium acrylate), or alginate.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nucleating agent comprises at least one of strontium chloride hexahydrate (SrCl 2 .6H 2 O), strontium bromide hexahydrate (SrBr 2 .6H 2 O), strontium iodide hexahydrate (SrI 2 .6H 2 O), barium iodide hexahydrate (BaI 2 .6H 2 O), barium chloride hexahydrate (BaCl 2 .6H 2 O), barium chloride (BaCl 2 ), barium carbonate (BaCO 3 ), strontium carbonate (SrCO 3 ), barium fluoride (BaF 2 ), strontium fluoride (SrF 2 ), barium hydrofluoride (Ba(HF 2 )), barium oxide (BaO), barium hydroxide (Ba(OH) 2 )), barium sulfate (BaSO 4 ), or strontium hydroxide (Sr(OH) 2 ).

6. A method comprising, in order:

heating an intercalated graphite to a temperature between about 200° C. and about 750° C. resulting in an expanded graphite;

coating the expanded graphite with a surfactant having a first end and a second end to form a wetted graphite;

compressing the wetted graphite to form a graphite matrix having a plurality of pores defining a pore volume; and

filling between about 40% and about 95% of the pore volume with a mixture comprising a phase change material of at least one of calcium chloride hexahydrate (CaCl 2 ).6H 2 O), calcium bromide hexahydrate (CaBr 2 .6H 2 O), disodium sulfate decahydrate (Na 2 SO 4 .10H 2 O), disodium phosphate dodecahydrate (Na 2 HPO 4 .12H 2 O), zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O), magnesium chloride hexahydrate (MgCl 2 .6H 2 O), magnesium nitrate hexahydrate (Mg(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2 O), or lithium nitrate trihydrate (LiNO 3 .3H 2 O), and a nucleating agent resulting in an energy storage material; wherein:

the surfactant is present in a mass ratio of the surfactant to the expanded graphite between about 1:100 and about 5:100,

the first end of the surfactant is bonded to the expanded graphite and the second end of the surfactant is bonded to the phase change material, and

the nucleating agent is present in the mixture at a concentration between greater than zero wt % and less than about 6.0 wt %.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pore volume is between about 60% and about 95% of a total volume of the graphite matrix as defined by the pore volume plus a volume of the expanded graphite present in the graphite matrix.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the heating comprises:

placing the intercalated graphite in a furnace for a period of time, wherein:

the furnace is operated at a temperature of between about 200° C. and 750° C.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the period of time is between about one (1) minute and about ten (10) minutes.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the coating comprises:

submerging the expanded graphite in a solution comprising the surfactant.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the wherein the surfactant comprises at least one of octyl phenol ethoxylate (C 14 H 22 O(C 2 H 4 O) n where n=9-10) or polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether (C 14 H 22 O(C 2 H 4 O) n where n=7-8).

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the compressing comprises:

placing the wetted graphite in a hydraulic press having a pellet die; and

pressing the pellet die on the wetted graphite resulting in the graphite matrix.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the filling comprises:

melting the phase change material and the nucleating agent to form the mixture; and

submerging the graphite matrix in the mixture resulting in a slurry.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the filling further comprises:

performing vacuum filtration on the slurry during the submerging, resulting in the energy storage material.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

a hydrogel comprising at least one of poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PAAAM), poly(acrylamide-co-sodium acrylate), or alginate is added to the mixture prior to the filling.

16. The method of claim 6 , wherein the nucleating agent comprises at least one of strontium chloride hexahydrate (SrCl 2 .6H 2 O), strontium bromide hexahydrate (SrBr 2 .6H 2 O), strontium iodide hexahydrate (SrI 2 .6H 2 O), barium iodide hexahydrate (BaI 2 .6H 2 O), barium chloride hexahydrate (BaCl 2 .6H 2 O), barium chloride (BaCl 2 ), barium carbonate (BaCO 3 ), strontium carbonate (SrCO 3 ), barium fluoride (BaF 2 ), strontium fluoride (SrF 2 ), barium hydrofluoride (Ba(HF 2 )), barium oxide (BaO), barium hydroxide (Ba(OH) 2 )), barium sulfate (BaSO 4 ), or strontium hydroxide (Sr(OH) 2 ).