A Study on the Thermal Properties of Binary Eutectic Mixed PCM Using Polyethylene Glycol and 1,4-Butanediol

Current cold chain logistics relying on organic or eutectic materials within the 2~8°C range as secondary fluids often face limitations in heat storage capacity, necessitating high energy consumption and large volume capacity. An effective approach to address this challenge is by incorporating polymers to enhance the heat storage capacity of eutectic materials. In this study, we investigated the impact of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) on phase change materials using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), analyses of endothermic and exothermic phase change processes, and an accelerated thermal cycling test. Our findings indicate that the introduction of PEGs into the phase change materials can lead to improvements in latent heat, thermal conductivity, and 2~8oC retention time. This enhancement is attributed to the high latent heat and thermal conductivity of the polymer, along with its ability to inhibit crystal formation in the eutectic mixture.