Recent Advances and Applications of Flexible Phase Change Composites

ABSTRACT Flexible phase change composites (FPCCs) have garnered significant attention for their ability to combine high latent heat capacity with mechanical flexibility. This combination enables advanced thermal management in emerging fields such as flexible electronics, soft robotics, and wearable technologies. Traditional phase change materials (PCMs) excel in energy absorption and release. However, their rigidity limits their applicability in the sectors above. Existing reviews largely focus on encapsulation methods and traditional PCM applications, leaving a gap in the literature concerning flexibility enhancement strategies and FPCC‐specific applications. This review seeks to address this gap by presenting a comprehensive timeline of FPCC development, elucidating the principles of latent heat capacity, and systematically reviewing recent advancements in the field. Emphasis is placed on design strategies at both the structural level, such as fiber and foam configurations, and materials level, including physical blending and molecular engineering. Performance comparisons are provided, evaluating FPCCs in terms of both latent heat storage and mechanical flexibility. Furthermore, the review explores diverse applications of FPCCs in thermal energy storage, transfer, conversion, and release, underscoring their potential in cutting‐edge sectors. By highlighting FPCCs' versatility and interdisciplinary applications, this review aims to inspire further research and integration of FPCCs into domains requiring both mechanical flexibility and thermal energy management solutions.

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Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
EcoMat
Published
2025-03-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/eom2.70004
Citations
16
Primary Topic
Phase Change Materials Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
11.41

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article

Recent Advances and Applications of Flexible Phase Change Composites

Hongxu Guo, Helen Willcock, James J. C. Busfield, Lichang Lu et al.
16 citations
EcoMat
Phase Change Materials Research
11.41
article

Recent Advances and Applications of Flexible Phase Change Composites

Hongxu Guo, Helen Willcock, James J. C. Busfield, Lichang Lu, Ignacio Martín-Fabiani, Ton Peijs, Goran T. Vladisavljević, Emiliano Bilotti, Yong Liu, Han Zhang, Ye Bo Zhou
article en
16 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Flexible phase change composites (FPCCs) have garnered significant attention for their ability to combine high latent heat capacity with mechanical flexibility. This combination enables advanced thermal management in emerging fields such as flexible electronics, soft robotics, and wearable technologies. Traditional phase change materials (PCMs) excel in energy absorption and release. However, their rigidity limits their applicability in the sectors above. Existing reviews largely focus on encapsulation methods and traditional PCM applications, leaving a gap in the literature concerning flexibility enhancement strategies and FPCC‐specific applications. This review seeks to address this gap by presenting a comprehensive timeline of FPCC development, elucidating the principles of latent heat capacity, and systematically reviewing recent advancements in the field. Emphasis is placed on design strategies at both the structural level, such as fiber and foam configurations, and materials level, including physical blending and molecular engineering. Performance comparisons are provided, evaluating FPCCs in terms of both latent heat storage and mechanical flexibility. Furthermore, the review explores diverse applications of FPCCs in thermal energy storage, transfer, conversion, and release, underscoring their potential in cutting‐edge sectors. By highlighting FPCCs' versatility and interdisciplinary applications, this review aims to inspire further research and integration of FPCCs into domains requiring both mechanical flexibility and thermal energy management solutions.

EcoMatVol. 7(4)
Loughborough University (GB), Queen Mary University of London (GB), Shenzhen University (CN), University of Warwick (GB), Imperial College London (GB)
Loughborough University, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Phase Change Materials Research
11.41
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