Multifunctional composites exhibiting structural and thermal management capabilities

Despite their excellent structural capabilities, fibre-reinforced polymer composites typically feature low thermal storage capacity due to their reduced thermal mass. Consequently, when exposed to elevated thermal environments, these composites suffer rapid structural damage. This research explores the influence of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) on the thermal storage characteristics and mechanical performance of glass/epoxy laminates. The inclusion of micro-encapsulated PCMs resulted in increased enthalpy (latent) values of the laminate at the PCM solid - liquid phase transition temperature. The melting and crystallization enthalpy values measured for the PCM-enhanced composites are within experimental error range of those estimated via the Rule of Mixtures suggesting that the PCMs preserved their physical integrity and thermal storage functionality. The inclusion of PCMs at 12.5% wt. reduced the specific tensile modulus and strength by 15% and 25%, respectively. Meanwhile, the specific compression modulus and strength decreased by 15% and 30%, respectively.