A plant-based resin composite containing microencapsulated phase change material for thermal management

The growing demand for sustainable materials for thermal management has driven the development of bio-based composites with enhanced functional properties. Hence, this study focuses on developing and characterizing a 3D-printable plant-based resin (PBR) composite incorporating microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) with a melting temperature of 28 ∘ C . MPCM was systematically incorporated at different volume fractions (v/v%), 20%, 33%, and 50%, using commercial liquid crystal display (LCD) 3D printing technology, enabling precise geometric control without complex processing. Extensive characterization encompassed thermal, mechanical, and microstructural properties through experimental testing and numerical modeling validation. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed effective phase change behavior with latent heat capacities ranging from 17.36 to 30 . 04 J / g proportional to MPCM content. Mechanical testing demonstrated controlled trade-offs between thermal storage and structural properties, with tensile strengths of 21.26– 23 . 48 MPa for MPCM composites versus 33 . 89 MPa for PBR. Other measurements included thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermogravimetric analysis, and thermal cycling of these composites. Finite element modeling of thermal performance with composites’ thermal properties as inputs achieved high accuracy with coefficients of determination ( R 2 ) between 0.97–0.98 and mean absolute error percentage of 2.29–3.13%. Experimental thermal regulation tests demonstrated that the 50% MPCM composite extended thermal protection duration by 4.5 times compared to the control. • Developed 3D-printable plant-based resin with 20%–50% MPCM v/v% composites. • Microstructure, and thermal and mechanical properties were characterized. • Latent heat capacity increased with MPCM content but mechanical strength decreased. • Simulations accurately predicted thermal behavior under controlled conditions.