USE OF GLAUBERS SALT (NA

2
SO
4
) AS AN INORGANIC MATERIAL FOR PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL

Latent heat storage is one of the most efficient ways of storing thermal energy. Unlike
the sensible heat storage method, Latent heat storage can provide high energy storage density,
has a narrower temperature range for the heat storage and recovery cycle and it has a
characteristic to store heat at a constant temperature corresponding to the phase transition
temperature of the PCM.

Salt hydrates are inorganic compounds combined with water in a definite ratio to form a
characteristic crystalline solid. It actually undergoes dehydration (or hydration) to some degree
during the phase change process. It also have certain advantages over organic materials as
latent heat storage materials such as high latent heat of fusion per volume, relatively high
thermal conductivity has a small volume changes on melting, not very corrosive, compatible
with plastics and has no flammable hazard because of lower vapor pressures.


For this study, Glaubers salt (Na2SO4.10H2O) is chosen to use as an inorganic material.
It contains 44% Na2SO4 and 56%H2O and has a melting temperature of 32.4C, latent heat of
254KJ/Kg. and is one of the cheapest materials that can be used for thermal energy storage.
However, some problems occurs like phase segregation which develop because of incongruent
melting and sub cooling because of their weak nucleation properties

Anhydrous salts and aqueous solution of salts are formed when the inorganic salt
hydrates melt. Anhydrous salts are considerably denser than the solution and precipitate to the
bottom of the container. On freezing, rehydration may start only at the solution-precipitate
interface. Thus, rehydration cannot further proceed because the salt hydrate forms a contact
barrier between the liquid and the anhydrous salt solution. The consequence is a bad
crystallization of the compound and a change in the thermo physical properties of the PCM.
Phase separation can be prevented by changing the properties of the salt hydrate with the
addition of another material that can hinder the heavier phases to sink to the bottom of the
container.

This can be achieved through various methods, such as Thickening. It is said to be the
most effective way to prevent phase separation which increases the viscosity and hereby holds
the salt hydrate together

Another important problem common to salt hydrates is that of supercooling. It can be
solved successfully by adding nucleating agents which has the same crystal structure of
Glaubers salt.


A super-absorbent polymer (SAP) made from an acrylic copolymer, which are called
water-absorbing polymers, will be use to stabilize PCM to lessen the phase separation. The
absorbency of SAP is mainly dependent on factors such as the osmotic pressure from the
mobile ion concentration, the molecular chain expansion resulting from electrical repulsion and
the extent of cross linkage affecting the degree of swelling of the polymer. In the present study,
SAP can absorb about 600 times its own weight of water without losing its structure. However,
the absorbency o f SAP in a Glaubers salt solution decreases to about 30 to 120 times its own
weight of the solution. This may be caused by the reduction of the electrical potential
difference between the gel and its surroundings, which is accompanied by an electrical
repulsion in the polymer structure.
In a previous study, the phase separation of Glaubers salt was completely prevented by
2.9% of SAP up to 100 thermal cycles. Repetitive freeze-thaw test with the sample of the same
composition have been carried out more than 300 cycles. This sample had constant
temperature profiles with time and maintained a uniform state both in the melted and solid
states without any visible change in the material. Thus, it is confirmed that the phase
separation of Glaubers salt can be overcome by adding 2.9 wt% of SAP.
The supercooling of the thickened Glaubers salt without a nucleating agent is 15 to
18C. Borax (Na
2
B
4
O
7
H
2
O) was found to be the most effective nucleating agent for the
thickened Glaubers salt according to the 15% size-factor rule, in which the additive is effective
as a nucleating agent if its crystals form is similar within 15% in atomic arrangement and lattice
spacing to that of PCM. The supercooling of the thickened Glaubers salt with SAP was reduced
to 3-4C if more than 1.9 wt% borax is added.










REFERENCES

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