Feasibility of Storing Latent Heat with Liquid Crystals. Proof of Concept at Lab Scale

Abstract

In this work, the first experimental results of thermotropic liquid crystals used as phase

change materials for thermal storage are presented. For that purpose, the n = 10 derivative from

the family of 41-n-alkoxybiphenyl-4-carboxylic acids has been prepared. Different techniques

like polarized-light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and

rheological measurements have been applied for its characterization. Having a mesophase/isotropic

transition temperature around 251 C, a clearing enthalpy of 55 kJ/kg, a thermal heat capacity

of around 2.4 kJ/kg and a dynamic viscosity lower than 0.6 Pas, this compound fulfills the main

requirements for being considered as latent heat storage material. Although further studies on

thermal stability are necessary, the results already obtained are both promising and encouraging since

they demonstrate de viability of this new application of liquid crystals as thermal storage media.