Reuse analysis of liquid waste from a thermochromic poplar-based crystal violet lactone/calcium chloride/n-octadecanol/n-dodecanol composite

The development of CVL-type thermochromic materials and their application in thermochromic wood is a significant area of interest in the research of thermochromic materials, which results in the production of thermochromic liquid waste (TLW), but few studies and the reuse of TLW has been minimally explored. This study discovered that TLW of a thermochromic poplar-based crystal violet lactone/calcium chloride/n-octadecanol/n-dodecanol composite retains its thermochromic properties, and enables the reversible transition of red phase and violet-red phase in the temperature range of 38–52°C, and it exhibits a pronounced thermochromic effect as well as heat storage capacity at room temperature. Therefore, this TLW can be reused. The thermochromic wood (TW) fabricated with the TLW has good thermochromic properties, and offers enhanced filling capacity, without compromising the inherent mechanical properties of the original poplar wood (OP). This study offers insights for CVL-type thermochromic materials to achieve waste reuse. • This study insights CVL-type thermochromic materials (CTM) to achieve waste reuse. • Thermochromic liquid waste (TLW) of this CTM can be reused. • TLW exhibits thermochromic and heat storage capacities at room temperature. • Thermochromic wood fabricated with the TLW has excellent thermochromic properties.