Preparation and thermal conductivity enhancement of a paraffin wax-based composite phase change material doped with garlic stem biochar microparticles

The addition of thermally conductive nanomaterials is an effective strategy for increasing the thermal conductivity of phase change materials (PCMs). However, nanomaterials are expensive and may significantly reduce the latent heat capacity of PCMs. In this study, low-cost and eco-friendly biochar microparticles were prepared from garlic stems, a common food waste in Singapore. The thermal properties of paraffin wax (PW) doped with 1, 3, and 5 wt% garlic stem biochar (GSB) microparticles were investigated. The GSB microparticles prepared at 700 °C had three-dimensional porous and two-dimensional flake-like structures, which contributed to the formation of additional heat transfer pathways in the PW. The addition of 5 wt% GSB microparticles enhanced the thermal conductivity of PW by 27.3% and 7.2% in the solid and liquid phases, respectively. The T-history test revealed that the melting and solidification rates of PW improved by 90 and 115 s, respectively. The improved heat transfer performance was mainly ascribed to the high degree of graphitization and the interconnected porous carbon structure of the GSB microparticles. The phase change temperatures of PW were slightly changed upon the addition of GSB microparticles, and the latent heat capacity was only reduced by 6.1%. These results suggest that the GSB microparticles can be used as a potential alternative to other nanoadditives such as metal- and metal oxide-based nanoadditives.