Effects of Biceramic AlN-SiC Microparticles on the Thermal Properties of Paraffin for Thermal Energy Storage

Herein, simplified time-efficient production of AlN-coated SiC (SiC@AlN) ceramic powder was practiced. Short-term vibratory ball milling with high frequency was employed to integrate the microsize particles. Also, paraffin as a significant phase change material (PCM) was reinforced using the manufactured SiC@AlN in order to enhance the thermal conductivity (TC) and stability of the final composite. Various characterization methods were used to clarify the changes in particle size of the biceramic powder as well as the thermal features of the paraffin-based composite. Manufactured SiC@AlN was found to be the most effective in the improvement of interfacial adhesion of composite components and the subsequent enhancement of TC, compared with singular ceramic powders as the reinforcing agents. Also, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated a very slight increase in latent heat of the fabricated composite PCM.